• Biologics gaining share in the market
• Lack of acne specialists causes many to delay treatment
• British patients given early access to dermatology drug

In 2022, the dermatology market will be valued at $33.7 billion globally, GBI Research forecasts. In 2015, the market was valued at $20 billion. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7%.

The most common types of disorders in the world are dermatological conditions. In the United States alone, one-third of the population suffers from at least one dermatological condition.

Since the start of the century, the dermatology market has been saturated with established products.  This has slowly begun to change as advancements have been made in the understanding of the disease pathways. A biologics treatment for psoriasis has been a clinical and commercial success. This has renewed pharmaceutical companies’ interest in the dermatology market.

Patients Delaying Treatment

In the UK, the lack of qualified dermatology specialists is causing many patients to delay treatment, the BBC reports. There are at least 200 open dermatological positions in the country.

This has put stress on the National Health Service and has caused a long wait time for appointments.

Just as the number of dermatologists has dropped, the number of acne patients has. In 2015-2016, there were 6,383, up nearly 4,000 patients from 2010-2011.

Public awareness of acne treatments and vanity has caused this increase.

Patients Granted Early Drug Access

Meanwhile, British dermatology patients have been granted early access to an atopic dermatitis drug by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. The drug, dupilumab, manufactured by Sanofi, is still experimental.

Atopic dermatitis is a common but severe form of eczema. It is characterized by inflamed dry skin which can become infected. It is painful and can affect a person’s sleep, concentration and self esteem. Prior to the development of dupilumab, there were very few treatments available other than immunosuppressants and topical treatments.

Approval makes the drug available to adult atopic dermatitis patients who have not responded well to other treatments.

“Allergy UK supports patients with a range of allergic conditions, including atopic dermatitis, and we see the impact this debilitating, life-altering condition can have on people’s day-to-day functioning, making simple tasks such as dressing or bathing difficult. These individuals have suffered for most of their lives with widespread inflamed skin, intense itch and sleep disturbances, often causing symptoms of anxiety, depression and a sense of isolation.” Carla Jones, Chief Executive, Allergy UK told Yahoo Finance.

Global Dermatology Market

• Market size and year-on-year growth is determined by a variety of factors including the increasing prevalence of acute skin conditions, chronic skin conditions, skin infections and other dermatology diseases as well as product innovation and the increasing preference for technologically advanced services.
• There are 801 dermatology products in the research pipeline. Biologics represents 37% even though this molecule type is only available in a small fraction of marketed products.
• The conditions with the highest prevalence in the pipeline are acne vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis.

• Bacteria becoming resistant to many drugs
• WHO releases list of bacteria that need new drugs developed
• List not meant to scare but speed up drug research

In 2022, the antibacterial drug market will reach $35.6 billion globally, GBI Research forecasts, an increase from around $27.1 billion in 2015.

Innovations in the market have been fueled by the growing concern over, as well as the increased commonness, of antimicrobial resistance.

Vaccines have the largest market share, but several prophylactic monoclonal antibodies are in development.

There are several anti-bacterial drugs on the market. The most common are beta-lactam antibiotics, which includes penicillin. Bacteria, however, has developed resistance to penicillin by producing beta-lactamase enzymes. These enzymes render antibiotics ineffective by breaking open the drugs’ beta-lactam rings.

Beta-lactams are often used in combination with a beta-lactamase inhibitor.

Bacterial have developed resistance to many classes of drugs used to treat bacterial infections, leaving a gap in the market.

WHO’s Plan

In 2015, the World Health Organization launched a plan to combat antibiotic resistance. Part of the plan includes developing new antibiotics. This month, WHO released its list of the 12 priorities that should be the focus of researchers. The list is divided into critical, high and medium priority levels.

The list did not include mycobacterium tuberculosis, because WHO says the goal is to alert researchers to unknown or little-known threats.

TB already is an established threat, the WHO said.

Some of the diseases that did make the list are Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonellae and Enterobacteriaceae.

The several criteria for bacteria to be added to the list include the level of antibiotic resistance, how deadly the infections are, if they can be prevented, if there are multiple treatments available, if treatment requires long hospital stays, if new antibiotics are already in the research and development and if it spreads how easily from animal to animal, from animals to humans, or human to human.

The list is not meant to scare the public but to encourage an increase in drug development.

“Antibiotic resistance is growing, and we are fast running out of treatment options,” Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO’s assistant director-general for health systems and innovation, said at a press conference. “If we leave it to market forces alone, the new antibiotics we most urgently need are not going to be developed in time.”

Superbugs are antibiotics resistant to all 26 available antibiotics. By 2050, superbugs will kill 10 million people annually and cost the global economy $10 trillion, according to a review commissioned by the British government.

Global Antibacterial Drugs Market

• The dominate vaccines in the market are those that prevent diphtheria, pertussis, pneumococcal infections, and tetanus.
• The key drugs in development are intended to treat methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), pneumonia, sepsis and tuberculosis.
• Other drug classes include fluoroquinolones, which inhibit DNA gyrase, topoisomerase IV, and protein synthesis inhibitors, which are used to treat of bacteria resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics.

• New vaccines in development to increase safety, effectiveness
• Australians urged to get vaccinated early
• World Health Organization recommends strain change

In 2022, the seasonal influenza market in Asia-Pacific will be valued at $1.7 billion, according to a report by GBI Research. The market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7%, increasing from $1.24 billion in 2015.

Asia-Pacific is an attractive market for seasonal influenza vaccine manufacturers because of the changed perception of patient populations.

The seasonal influenza vaccine has been continuously improving for years. Currently, influenza vaccines are manufactured using eggs, but these treatments are being replaced with cell-culture vaccines. This transition is forecasted to reduce problems associated with the production and use of egg=based vaccines.

Trivalent and quadrivalent vaccines dominate the seasonal influenza market, but have problems regarding efficacy and safety. The trend is to move from trivalent to quadrivalent formulations, because quadrivalent vaccines are more effective against the influenza Type B strain. By 2022, GBI Research believes quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccines will completely replace their trivalent vaccines.

There is a high number of vaccines in early-development stage. Research and development is focused on creating new formulations, creating vaccines using the cell-culture method, quadrivalent vaccines or the development of pediatric versions of vaccines already on the market.

Australians Urged to Be Vaccinated

Australia’s health ministry is encouraging people to get vaccinated early this year. This year’s vaccine will protect against four influenza stains.

The government will make 4.5 million doses available for free through the National Immunisation Program.

“Receiving the vaccine from April allows protection from the flu to develop well ahead of the peak transmission period, which usually falls around August,” Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy told News.com.

Annually, the flu kills 170 Australians and hospitalizes 5,000.

World Health Organization Recommendation

The World Health Organization recommends a change in the strains available in vaccines in Northern Hemisphere for the 2017-2018 flu season, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

The WHO recommends replacing A/California/7/2009 with A/Michigan/45/2015 in the H1N1 vaccine. A change also has been made to the H3N2 vaccine, switching to an A/Hong Hong/4801/2014-like virus, and to the Type B vaccine, switching to a Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

The changes are intended to prevent a pandemic.

The WHO also recommended these changes for the 2016-2017 Southern Hemisphere flu season.

The U.S. Strategic National Stockpile has enough vaccines to protect 12 million people, but none comply with the new WHO recommendation.

Seasonal Influenza Therapies in Asia-Pacific

• Influenza is often called simply the flu. It is an acute infection caused by one of the three closely viruses which are designated influenza Type A, B, and C.
• Effective and prompt treatment with antiviral medication is very difficult because of influenza’s rapid onset and the potential for high morbidity and mortality, particularly in high-risk patient populations including young children and the elderly.
• The preferred intervention for seasonal influenza is the prophylactic vaccination.

• Percentage of hospitals with surgical robots to reach 100% in five years
• Robots used for first time in eye surgeries
• Robots to conduct delicate surgeries in development

By 2021, the abdominal surgical robot device market is forecasted to reach $10.5 billion, according to WinterGreen Research.  This is up from $2.2 billion in 2014.

Market growth is fueled by an aging U.S. population.  This age group has a higher occurrence of health issues that require medical treatment.

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• Food and Drug Administration introduced breakthrough therapy designation
• Hemophilia drug receives breakthrough therapy designation
• Three cancer drugs also receive the designation

This year, the breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) drugs market is expected to reach $48.8 billion globally, according to BCC Research.  By 2022, the market is forecasted to be valued at $99.2 billion, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.2%.

The breakthrough therapy designation was introduced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July 2012 as part of the Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act.

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• Tumors might be key to killing cancerous cells
• Understanding the body’s immune response helps in drug creation
• AstraZeneca tests immunotherapy drug for lung cancer

In 2020, the cancer immunotherapies market is forecasted to be valued at $75.8 billion, up from $16.9 billion in 2015, according to GBI Research. The market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (GAGR) of 23.9%.

Cancer is abnormal growth of cells caused by the failure of a number of cellular processes which allow the malignant cells to multiply quickly without cellular death. Scientistsbelieve many tumors express antigens which can be used to promote an anti-tumor response in the body.

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