Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Market in Asia-Pacific Region - Cell Culture Technology-Based Vaccines to Revolutionize the Market by Faster Production and High Initial Purity

Additional Information

GBI Research, the leading business intelligence provider has released its latest research “Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Market in Asia-Pacific Region - Cell Culture Technology-Based Vaccines to Revolutionize the Market by Faster Production and High Initial Purity” which essentially provides insights into the seasonal influenza vaccine sales forecasts for the Asia-Pacific Region until 2017. The report also delves deep into vaccination patterns for seasonal influenza in the Asia-Pacific Region. Further, the geographical distribution of seasonal influenza vaccines across Japan, Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India and Singapore are also provided in the report. The report offers a clear view of the regulatory landscape in the Asia-Pacific countries. The report also reveals the seasonal influenza vaccine R&D pipeline and offers profiles of promising vaccines. The report explores the competitive landscape including profiles for top companies. Finally, the key trend analysis on mergers and acquisitions, and licensing agreements involving seasonal influenza vaccines is also presented

Treatment of seasonal influenza is dominated by two categories of treatment options, vaccines and antiviral therapies. In the recent years it was observed that demand for seasonal influenza vaccines have increased due to changed perception of patient population. The patient population is of the opinion that preventive healthcare is better compared to curative healthcare; this led to increased demand of vaccines in Asia-Pacific region. Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is an attractive market for seasonal influenza vaccine manufacturers. Major drivers in the market is increasing awareness, increasing vaccination coverage in the APAC countries and rising government support for immunization against seasonal influenza. Major restraints of the market are variable demand and limited production capacity. Traditional egg based manufacturing of seasonal influenza vaccines is being replaced with cell culture vaccines. Cell culture based production of vaccines is expected to reduce the problems associated with the production and use of seasonal influenza vaccines which will further increase the vaccination coverage in the APAC region.

Asia-Pacific Region for Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Market is Set to Grow at a CAGR of 8.9% during Forecast Period 2010-2017

Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Market, APAC Region, Revenue, ($m), 2010-2017

Source: GBI Research, Interviews with Key Opinion Leaders, MIV Study Group

GBI Research forecasts the market to grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.9% during the period 2010-2017 from $1,154.9m in 2010 to $2,095.9m by 2017. Major drivers in the market is increasing awareness, increasing vaccination coverage in the APAC countries and rising government support for immunization against seasonal influenza. Limited production capacity, high investment, and strict regulations act as entry barriers for new entrants in seasonal influenza vaccine market.

The Philippines’ seasonal influenza vaccine market is the most attractive market in Asia-Pacific region both in terms of value and growth rate. The Philippines’ seasonal influenza vaccine market is forecast to grow from $62.5m in 2010 to $359m in 2017 at an impressive CAGR of 28.4%. Other attractive markets in terms of growth rate are Malaysia’s and Singapore’s seasonal influenza vaccine markets. These are forecast to grow at CAGR of 23.9% and 19.9% respectively during 2010-2017. Australia’s seasonal influenza vaccine market is also a large sized attractive market forecast to grow at a CAGR of 3.3% during 2010-2017 from $87.7m in 2010 to $110.4m by 2017. Seasonal influenza vaccine market for China and India are forecast to grow at CAGR of 15.6% and 16.5% respectively during the period 2010-2017.

Increasing Efforts of the Government in the Asia-Pacific Region is Driving Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Market

Governments in the APAC region have positively responded to threat posed by pandemic and seasonal influenza. Major challenge posed during pandemics is nations or government ability to meet increased demand of vaccines, which are being produced in limited number of doses by limited number of manufacturers. This led to the development of national immunization program in some of countries in APAC region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Major objective of the government’s through these programs is to increase awareness about influenza, immunize their population and ensure appropriate supplies of vaccines in their nations. These programs were successful in achieving increased vaccination coverage in APAC region and it is forecast that vaccination coverage will grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during 2010-2017.

Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Market, APAC Region, Vaccination Coverage (‘000) , 2010-2017

Source: GBI Research, Interviews with Key Opinion Leaders, United Nations (UN) Population Data

Due to threat of pandemic demand of seasonal influenza vaccines have increased because vaccination is considered as best possible method to counter pandemic influenza. As seen during pandemic influenza of 2009, pandemic H1N1 strain of influenza virus mostly affected the APAC region, which resulted in increased number of influenza cases. As pandemic can not be predicted, it will be difficult for the vaccine manufacturers to provide higher number of doses. Due to low availability of the vaccine during pandemic period and its media coverage led to increased awareness about influenza in the APAC region. Threat of pandemics led to increase in government efforts and resulted in vaccination supporting programs.

Increase in vaccination coverage population in the APAC region (Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India) is growing at CAGR of 6.5% from 89.1 million to 138.6 million in 2017. Vaccination coverage population in Malaysia is growing at rate of 22.5%, followed by the Philippines with CAGR of 22.8%. Vaccination coverage in India is showing a double digit growth rate with CAGR 14.8% due to increased awareness and future prospects of availability of low cost vaccines.

Novel Vaccines and New Production Technologies will Revolutionize the Seasonal Influenza Market

Egg-based manufacturing method is chiefly used in production of seasonal influenza vaccines but in the current scenario it seems to be inefficient to meet the demand, despite cost effective. Each dose of vaccine is prepared from one or two eggs on an average, and yield of vaccine varies from strain to strain of flu virus. These problems associated with production of influenza vaccines is expected to have to be solved with development of new production technologies and novel vaccines. Cell culture-based vaccine production technology seems to be most promising new production technology, which has emerged as an alternative to current egg-based production technology. The technology helps in faster production of influenza vaccines and offers many benefits such as cost savings to the manufacturers. Novel vaccines such as adjuvant vaccines have benefits such as better efficacy at lower antigen requirement. Vaccines with improved delivery platform such as Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccines (LAIV) are painless vaccines with intranasal delivery that can help in improving vaccination coverage. This type of new trends indicates that the vaccine manufacturers are increasingly adopting these technologies and developing novel vaccines.

Merger and Acquisition Agreements Indicates Shift of Focus of Major Players in Vaccine Market to Developing Countries

A total of 63 R&D programs have being conducted for development of seasonal influenza vaccines. The pipeline is quite equally divided between all the stages of development. R&D activity is dominated by programs in Phase II which account for 25.4% of all the R&D programs, followed by Preclinical Phase (23.8% of total R&D programs), Phase I (23.8% of all the R&D programs) and Phase III (14.3% of all the R&D programs). Filed programs, Phase III and Phase II collectively account for 42.9% of total pipeline, which indicates that pipeline is not weak.

The major players in vaccines market are shifting their focus to developing countries like India and China. The major players in vaccines market are investing in these countries to set up manufacturing facilities, which can help them in producing low cost vaccines. This trend will change the influenza vaccine market and it will help the vaccine manufacturers to meet the increasing demand for seasonal influenza vaccines. The APAC region occupied 31.9% of total M&A agreements made in 2007-2011, and 29.5% of R&D licensing deals made in 2007-2011.