Alzheimer’s Disease Patients & Market Worldwide, Future Scenario (2010 - 2015) & Drugs Analysis

Alzheimer’s Disease - Market Overview

Alzheimer’s is a complex disease and there is no single “magic bullet” available in the market to prevent or cure it. Though many marketed drugs have been approved for Alzheimer’s disease, but it still remains a significant area of unmet medical need. Clinical success has proven elusive; however, numerous companies are developing novel treatments. Currently there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s and its still waiting for its key product. In addition, all current marketed products are going to be generic in the next five years.

In 2010, there were more than 30 Million people suffering with Alzheimer’s disease but it is anticipated that by 2015 over 35 Million people worldwide will be suffering from this disease. Much of this increase will be due to increase in number of people with Alzheimer’s in low and middle income countries. Since the risk of getting the disease increases with age, the number of patients with the illness to be found in any community will depend on the proportion of older people in the group. Traditionally, the developed countries have large proportions of elderly people, and so they have many cases of Alzheimer’s disease in the community at one time. However, developing countries are also undergoing a demographic transition so that more and more persons are surviving to an old age.

Global Alzheimer’s disease has increased manifold and expected to cross US$ 19 Billion by 2015. North America controls more than 50% of the total Alzheimer’s drug market share in 2010. Over the past years, the Alzheimer’s disease market has been flagged with several drugs into the market. Till last year Aricept was the world best selling drug which lost patent protection in November 2010, a milestone that will be followed by a rapid loss in sales. But there are other drugs which has the potential to become blockbuster drug by 2010. Namenda, Exelon has shown alluring growth in the market and become blockbusters in 2010. Ebixa a drug of Memantine group is expected to have a Billion dollar market by 2014. Given the alarming worldwide growth in Alzheimer’s patients, and especially if companies are able to address major unmet needs, the outlook for the Alzheimer’s disease market is excellent.