Research into Neuropathic Pain Products

Today's post comes from WWMR, Inc. which is an established marketing research and strategic consulting firm (see link below). They have looked at current progress amongst the pharmaceutical companies, concerning drugs to treat neuropathy. We have to be pleased that the report sees new drug treatments from various companies in the pipeline and looking at the proposed financial benefits, indicates that both the market is growing and there are profits to be made. We'll have to wait and see but it does seem that the general trend is to refine current treatments rather than come up with something totally new. That may well be because the transmission of pain signals at chemical and biological level has long been recognised and is more or less indisputable and that's why the anti-depressants and anti-convulsants have been used in the first place. Talking about calcium and sodium channels and norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, is very difficult to understand unless you're a scientist, so we have to trust that they're going in the right direction. One thing seems to be clear and that is that the chemists and biologists from the major drug companies are now seriously looking at how neuropathic pain works and how to treat it. Let's hope that they come up with solutions that the bosses will see as profitable in these days of financial crisis and that they won't be delayed by national medical authorities, otherwise we'll be back to square one. A lot of 'ifs' and 'buts' ahead then but at least there are signs of progress!

Neuropathic Pain Products in Europe Grow to US$1.7 Billion by 2012
Troy Franey,WWMR, Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO, December 16 /PRNewswire/ -- By 2012, the market for drug treatment of major neuropathic pain conditions in the five major European pharmaceutical markets -- France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK -- will reach US$1.7 billion. Given this substantial commercial potential and a patient population approaching 2 million in Europe alone, upcoming products for the treatment of Neuropathic Back Pain, Diabetic Neuropathy, Post-Herpetic Neuralgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, and HIV / AIDS Neuropathy are vigorously being research and developed by pharmaceutical companies.

The European neuropathic pain market is characterised by a particularly high level of unmet need for effective therapeutics due to the under- utilisation of anti-depressants, the lack of opioid availability, commonly used to treat neuropathic pain in the U.S. and certain European country- markets, but not others. This under-utilisation stems primarily from a lack of awareness about the potential utility of these drugs in neuropathic pain treatment and concerns about opioid addiction.

The anticonvulsant Neurontin (gabapentin) has recently experienced significant uptake in some countries in Europe, demonstrating the magnitude of the potential for other drugs with newer mechanisms of action. Now the product is facing generic competition in Europe, and with Pfizer's recent NDA submission to the US FDA for the follow-on drug pregabalin, renewed attention is being focused on anticipated changes in the neuropathic pain market.

At least 41 agents, triple the number from 1999, are in active clinical trials for the treatment of neuropathic pain worldwide. Late-phase products in clinical development for neuropathic pain include calcium channel antagonists pregabalin (Pfizer) and ziconotide (Elan Pharmaceuticals); sodium channel antagonists topiramate (J&J / Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical), mexiletine (Boehringer Ingelheim), and oxcarbazepine (Novartis / Kissei); glutamate / NMDA antagonists memantine (Neurobiological Technologies / Merz) and lamotrigine (GlaxoSmithKline / Bristol-Myers Squibb); cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors meloxicam (Boehringer Ingelheim/ BMS / Abbott Laboratories) and lornoxicam (Roche / Nycomed Pharma); cannabinoid receptor agonist THC:CBD (GW Pharmaceuticals / Bayer AG); neuromuscular blocking agent botulinum toxin A (Allergan); norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitor duloxetine (Lilly / Quintiles / Shinogi); and alpha adrenoceptor agonist clonidine gel (Curatek Pharmaceuticals).

European Neuropathic Pain is a newly released report on the market potential for pharmaceuticals to treat neuropathic pain in the five major pharmaceutical markets in Europe -- France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Recent reports include:

-- Worldwide Peripheral Neuropathy
-- U.S. Neuropathic Pain
-- Brand Erosion by Generics
-- Rx Brand Erosion by OTC Switches
-- European Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement

WWMR, Inc., is an established marketing research and strategic consulting firm with global capabilities. Since 1994, WWMR has provided over 500 insightful, proprietary studies to pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and diagnostics companies worldwide. Using primary and secondary research methodologies, WWMR provides market and product assessments, competitive intelligence, forecast modelling, patient population projections, product launch monitoring (pre- and post-), primary marketing research and medical economic analyses.

Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of WWMR, Inc.

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=114075