CNS therapies driven by psychiatric and neurodegenerative segments

A Global Industry Analysts report entitled "CNS Therapeutics: A Global Strategic Business Report", has identified that CNS disorders represent 11 per cent of global disorders in 2002 and are expected to account for over 14 per cent by 2020, driven by a rapidly ageing population and changing lifestyles.

The global market for CNS therapeutics is likely to register growth of nearly 7.5 per cent, the report adds. Anti-Psychotics drug sales account for nearly 25 per cent of the USD 43bn (EUR 31.6bn) CNS therapeutics market in the US.

The anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) drugs market is projected to be the fastest growing segment of Asia-Pacific CNS therapeutics market, while the EU CNS market is expected to be worth USD 30bn (EUR 22bn) by 2010. Increase in diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and AD in the US is also influencing demand for CNS prescriptions. Approximately, 1.5bn people are diagnosed with some form of CNS disorder.

While available therapies can retard the deterioration of a patient, the clinical pipeline boasts of new drug classes with potential to stop or reverse the disease's progression, and hence spur market growth.

The report also identifies the continuing switch over of patients from traditional anti-psychotics to expensive and atypical anti-psychotics drugs, such as Zyprexa (olanzapine), Risperdal (risperidone) and Geodon (ziprasidone) is driving the market forward.

The global market for anti-depressants, a dominant product category of CNS therapeutics is in decline, due to increasing generic competition, loss of patent protection of key drugs and increased risk of suicidal tendencies among adolescents.

Companies dominating the CNS Therapeutics market include Abbott, Organon, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cephalon, Dainippon Sumitomo, Eli Lilly, Hoffmann-La Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co, Novartis, Sandoz International, Otsuka, Pfizer, sanofi-aventis, Schwarz Pharma, Takeda, Teva, UCB and Wyeth.