New "Flu" Drugs Bolster Market Growth on the Strength of Marketing and Promotional Efforts
Mountain View, California -- 33 years ago, the first influenza antiviral drug, amantadine, was introduced for public consumption. Since then, subsequent similar antivirals have been brought to market only to meet with skepticism and indifference by patients and doctors alike. Enter: neuraminidase inhibitors, the latest class of drugs to attack the influenza virus, known more commonly as "the flu." However, the question still remains: How successful will these drugs be in bolstering a market historically characterized by underperformance?
Some answers are provided by recently completed market research from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.frost.com), U.S. Influenza Pharmaceutical Markets, where it is estimated that the introduction of two new branded drugs, Relenza (Glaxo Wellcome) and Tamiflu (Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc.) expanded the total 1999 market to approximately $80 million. Frost & Sullivan's research stresses that while these neuraminidase inhibitors will significantly expand the influenza treatment marketplace by more than 20 percent annually through 2006, sales will still fall well short of the financial expectations expressed by the pharmaceutical companies themselves.
"Relenza and Tamiflu, coupled with the introduction of a third neuraminidase inhibitor, Johnson & Johnson's RWJ 270201 (expected in 2001), will certainly bring more awareness to the influenza treatment arena, but the inherent restraints of the marketplace will prevent them from achieving their expected potential growth rates," says Sam Venugopal, a Pharmaceutical Industry Analyst for Frost & Sullivan. "While there will be substantial market growth, the gain will have more to do with a combination of marketing and promotional hype than the actually efficacy of the drugs."
U.S. Influenza Pharmaceutical Markets evaluates the current state of the influenza antiviral and vaccine industries, forecasting future revenues, revenue growth, product pricing and unit sales. The research also identifies the key challenges facing industry participants and offers strategies for success amidst such obstacles. For each product segment reviewed, market drivers as well as restraints are evaluated according to their impact on overall market revenues.
This healthcare industry research has integrated the Market Engineering consulting philosophy into the entire research process. Critical phases of this research included: Identification of industry challenges, market engineering measurements, strategic recommendations, planning and market monitoring. All of the vital elements of this system help the industry participants navigate successfully through the influenza pharmaceutical markets.
Industry participants and related organizations include: Alpharma, Inc., Avant Immunotherapeutics, Aventis Pasteur, Aviron, Biochem Vaccines (Biochem Pharma), Biocryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Biota Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Copley Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Evans Pharmaceuticals, Forest Laboratories, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Glaxo Wellcome, Inc., Hoffmann La-Roche, Inc., Hybridon, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, King Pharmaceuticals, Lilly Research Laboratories, Medeva Pharmaceuticals, Merck Research Laboratories, Mikart Pharmaceuticals, Novavax, Inc., OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Parkedale Pharmaceuticals (King Pharmaceuticals), Protein Sciences Corporation, Trimeris, Inc., Vaxcel, Inc., Vical, Inc., Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Inc. (American Home Products). Associated industry players: Biostar, Inc., Quidel Corporation, ZymeTx, Inc. Non-profit associations: Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Insitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Health Care Financing Association (HCFA).
Frost & Sullivan is an international marketing consulting and training company that monitors the healthcare industry for market trends, market measurements and strategies. This ongoing research is included as part of the Frost & Sullivan Online Pharmaceuticals Custom Subscription, and is used to support industry participants with customized consulting needs. Free executive summaries of all Frost & Sullivan research are available to the press through our media relations department.
U.S. Influenza Pharmaceutical Markets
Report: 5118-52 Date: Feb.2000 Price:$4,450
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