Economic stakes

The economic stakes

The therapeutic molecules market

In 2007, biomedicines world market was estimated to 71 Mds$. Among the different families of biomedicines, therapeutic proteins were the most developed with a market share of 67%. The strong development of recombinant proteins section was mainly due to the monoclonal antibodies family (35% of the market in 2008).

The therapeutic proteins

Different kinds of proteins have been developed and marketed in the field of therapeutic proteins.

Growth factors: 38% of the biomedicines market and 57% of the therapeutic proteins market with a progression rate of 18%. Erythropoietins (EPOs) and growth factors (G-CSFs) are used for the treatment of anemia, hematogenic disorders and chemotherapy side effects.

Hormones: 21.7% of therapeutic proteins sales and 14.6% of biomedicines sales. It concerns, for example, insulins for the treatment of diabetes (72% of the market, progression rate of 20% per year) and growth hormones.

Cytokines: 9.3% of biomedicines market (annual evolution of 10%). Cytokines (interferons and interleukins) are used for the treatment of auto-immune diseases, hepatitis C and some cancers.

Fusion proteins: up to date, 4 products are marketed: a TNF receptor fused with the Fc region of the IgG1 (rheumatoid polyarthritis); an IgG fused with the CTLA-4 of lymphocyte T (rheumatoid polyarthritis); a CD-2 binding protein fused with the Fc region of the IgG1 (psoriasis); a recombinant interleukine fused with the diphtheria toxin (lymphoma). The business for these products raised 5.6 Mds$ in 2007.

Plasmidic factors: 2.1% of the biomedicines market in 2007 with a progression of 26% in 2006. The factors VIII and IX, used for the treatment of hemophilia and bleeding, are the most important in volume sold.

Therapeutic enzymes: small share of the market but important progression (31% in 2006). Those enzymes are commonly used in the treatment of genetic diseases (about 10000 peoples in the world).

Monoclonal antibodies

Today, the success of biomedicines market in mainly due to monoclonal antibodies. The story began in 1997 with the commercialization of chimeric antibodies. They were the first commercial blockbusters in the field of oncology. However, since 2000, humanized antibodies, monoclonal human antibodies, conjugated antibodies and antibodies fragments (Fab) play an increasing role in the leadership of therapeutic antibodies.
The sales market progressed of 20.9% in 2008, raising 30 Mds$, which represents 35% of the biomedicine market. Monoclonal antibodies world market should be around 42 Mds$ in 2010 (40.1% of biomedicines market), with an annual progression around 14%.
Therapeutic fields targeted by monoclonal antibodies go from oncology, auto-immune and inflammatory diseases, to cardiology, pneumology or ophthalmology.

A progressing market

Biomedicines represent 30% of the new molecules marketed these last 4 years and an increasing part of the therapeutic innovation. 75% of those medicines arrived on the market on the last 10 years and, since the first biomedicine sold in France in 1984 (recombinant insulin), new products are continuously marketed.
The progressing therapeutic protein market raised 45.6 Mds$ in 2007 and should reach 53 Mds$ in 2010. Therapeutic fields with the best progression should be hematology, endocrinology (diabetes) and oncology.
Considering the biotechnology companies pipelines, the perspective for the biomedicines world market to evolve positively is very strong. For example, the part of biomedicines in pharmaceutical industry was 10% in 2007 and should be around 15% in 2012 (annual progression of 12.4%). This will represent 127 Mds$. About 100 new biomedicines will be released on the market during the period 2006-2012, with a wide majority of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins.