Biotechnology Industry 2010 Yearbook - Top Biologics, Biosimilars, Licensing and Financing, Mergers and Acquisitions

Additional Information

GBI Research, the leading business intelligence provider, has released its latest research “Biotechnology Industry 2010 Yearbook - Top Biologics, Biosimilars, Licensing and Financing, Mergers and Acquisitions” which provides insights on the activities that took place in the biotechnology industry in 2009. The report delves deep into the biotechnology industry and the competitive landscape of the leading companies. The report includes the key drivers and restraints that are impacting the growth of the biotechnology industry. The report also includes insights into the Research and Development R&D pipeline and the potential and top-selling biologics in various therapeutic indications such as cancer, inflammation, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as major biosimilars in the drug classes erythropoietin, insulin analogs and human growth hormones The report also gives insights into the small and medium-sized biotechnology enterprises in terms of their geographical distribution, funding and their involvement in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A). In addition, it also includes the regulatory landscape in the US, Europe and Japan.

In 2009 the Biotechnology Industry was Dominated by the Top 10 Companies

The biotechnology industry has emerged as a major growth area in the global healthcare industry. Since its emergence in the 1970s, the biotechnology market has shown tremendous growth, reaching approximately $128 billion in 2009.

On average, the revenues of the top 10 publicly listed biotechnology companies have increased by approximately 14% in 2009 over 2008. In fact, companies such as Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. recorded revenue growth rates of 50% in 2008. In contrast, the biggest player Amgen recorded low growth rates, mainly because of safety concerns related to some of its products.

The high growth in the revenues of biotechnology companies can be attributed to their focus on areas of clinical need that are unmanageable with conventional therapeutics, such as oncology, infectious diseases including HIV, and autoimmune disorders. A strong product pipeline for most of the top 10 biotechnology companies will result in a continuation of this growth trend in the future.

Biotechnology Market, Top 10 Companies by Biopharmaceutical Sales ($bn), 2009-2010

Source: GBI Research

The Highly Consolidated Biologics Market will be Challenged by the Entry of Biosimilars

GBI Research’s analysis suggests that the competitive landscape of the global biotechnology industry is dynamic and will change in the near future. Currently, Roche/Genentech is the global leader in the biotechnology industry with revenues from biological of $36.1 billion in 2009, closely followed by Amgen with revenues of $14.7 billion. Over the next five years, the ranking will be definitely affected by changes in market conditions such as approvals for biosimilars and merger and acquisition deals that have taken place in the last two years. The companies that will grow and move up towards a leadership position within this fiercely competitive industry may be Novo Nordisk, Merck and Baxter and Biogen Idec.

The Focus on Product Development Will Increase the Biologics in the Market

The biotech industry is strongly based on innovation and this will dictate the future competitiveness of the players within the industry. The importance of Research and Development (R&D) can be assessed from the fact that the top 10 biotechnology companies spent approximately $12 billion on R&D activities in 2009. This accounted for approximately 18% of their total annual revenues. The impact of increased R&D expenditure is evident from the increased number of approvals for the biologic products in 2009 in comparison to 2008.

Chronic and Severe Diseases Conditions Will Increase the Uptake of Biologics

Oncology and infectious diseases are the high growth therapeutic areas that will drive the growth of the biotechnology industry. The biotechnology industry pipeline mainly comprises products for oncology (35%), infectious diseases including HIV (28%) and others (37%). Oncology constitutes a significant part of the pipeline portfolio for each of the top 10 biotech companies.