Frontier Pharma: Ophthalmology Therapeutics - Advancements in Disease Understanding Pave Way for Increasingly Diverse Therapeutic Options, with Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma Leading the Way

Frontier Pharma: Ophthalmology Therapeutics - Advancements in Disease Understanding Pave Way for Increasingly Diverse Therapeutic Options, with Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma Leading the Way

Summary

The visual system, including the eye and its surrounding structures, can be affected by a number of pathological conditions. Ophthalmology encompasses a diverse range of indications affecting this system. Key diseases within this therapy area include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy and dry eye syndrome.

While treatments for dry eye syndrome are generally able to control its symptoms in the majority of patients, the other four diseases are progressive, chronic, incurable and can lead to visual impairment and even blindness if not adequately treated. Treatment is aimed at managing the disease, in order to reduce the severity of symptoms and to slow progression, rather than being curative.

Scientific advancements over recent decades have revealed a broad range of novel potential molecular targets, enabling progress in a previously stagnant field. This is reflected by the high number of products in development, with 782 pipeline products currently in the ophthalmology therapy area pipeline.

Moreover, there are a total of 158 first-in-class pipeline products in development for ophthalmology indications, representing 36% of the 438 pipeline products for which there is a disclosed molecular target. They appear generally promising in terms of safety and efficacy, and appear to have significant potential to strengthen the treatment landscape for key ophthalmological conditions - as well as representing promising commercial opportunities.

Many first-in-class products in the current ophthalmology pipeline have previously been involved in licensing and co-development deals. This indicates a strong degree of strategic consolidation uptake for first-in-class products in ophthalmology, and a willingness on the part of companies to invest in innovative products that show promise in both preclinical and clinical trials.

Scope

• Analysis of innovation in the ophthalmology markets in the context of the overall pipeline and current market landscape. Also includes analysis of the deals landscape surrounding first-in-class products in ophthalmology, and highlights opportunities for in-licensing. Key indications covered in detail include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.
• A brief introduction to ophthalmology, including symptoms, pathophysiology, and an overview of pharmacotherapy for the key diseases.
• The changing molecular target landscape between the market and the pipeline, and particular focal points of innovation in the pipeline.
• Comprehensive review of the pipeline for first-in-class therapies, analyzed on the basis of stage of development, molecule type and molecular target.
• Identification and assessment of first-in-class molecular targets, with a particular focus on early-stage programs for which clinical utility has yet to be evaluated, as well as literature reviews on novel molecular targets.
• Assessment of the licensing and co-development deal landscape for ophthalmology therapies, and benchmarking of deals involving first-in-class versus non-first-in-class-products.

Reasons to buy

• Understand the current clinical and commercial landscape, including a comprehensive study of disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis and the available treatment options available at each stage of diagnosis.
• Visualize the composition of the ophthalmology market in terms of dominant molecule types and targets, highlighting what the current unmet needs are and how they can be addressed. This knowledge allows a competitive understanding of the gaps in the current market.
• Analyze the ophthalmology pipeline, stratified by indication, stage of development, molecule type and molecular target.
• Assess the therapeutic potential of first-in-class targets. Using a proprietary matrix, first-in-class products have been assessed and ranked according to clinical potential. Promising early-stage targets have been further reviewed in greater detail.
• Identify commercial opportunities in the ophthalmology deals landscape by analyzing trends in licensing and co-development deals, and producing a list of ophthalmology therapies that are not yet involved in deals and may be potential investment opportunities.