Decision Resources Study Forecasts Substantial Growth in the Colorectal Cancer Drug Market Through 2010

Colorectal Cancer is a new Decision Resources study that evaluates emerging treatment trends that will substantially increase the value of the colorectal cancer (CRC) drug market through 2010. Sales of CRC drug therapies in the seven major pharmaceutical markets (United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Japan) will increase from $630 million in 2000 to $1.7 billion in 2010. This 10% annual growth rate reflects the slow but steady increase in the CRC population in each of the countries under study. It also reflects the likelihood that newer, more expensive drugs will be used to treat patients with metastatic and nonmetastatic disease. We expect market growth to be fastest in the first five years of our forecast period as these newer agents penetrate the market.

  (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000303/DECISION )   The following developments will also contribute to CRC market growth:    -- Drug-treatment rates in early-stage CRC will double--Over the next      decade, more CRC patients with locally advanced (Dukes' C) disease and      patients with early-stage (Dukes' B) colon cancer will benefit from      adjuvant chemotherapy.   -- New drugs displace the old--Many agents are in late-stage development      and will, within the next one to five years, become available for use      in large numbers of CRC patients.   -- Expanded use of expensive agents--Changes in medical practice will      emphasize more aggressive systemic adjuvant drug treatment of patients      with Dukes' C CRC.  As a result, we expect to see greater use of      expensive drugs, such as irinotecan (Pharmacia's Camptosar, Aventis's      Campto), in the adjuvant regimens given to patients with Dukes' C CRC.   -- A move toward oral compounds--We expect capecitabine (Hoffman-La      Roche's Xeloda) and Bristol-Myers Squibb's Orzel (an orally active      combination of the tegafur-uracil/leucovorin [UFT/LV] cocktail) to have      a major impact on the CRC disease market.   -- The future role of novel agents--We expect one or two emerging      biological therapies to make it to market for refractory metastatic CRC      by 2010.  We believe that these therapies will be supplemental to other      drug therapies.  

Colorectal Cancer offers invaluable market intelligence for pharmaceutical companies developing drugs to treat this indication. This study is part of Onkos, one of six Pharmacor services available from Decision Resources that evaluate the commercial potential of drugs in research and development.

Decision Resources, Inc., is a world leader in research publications, advisory services, and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources, and master their chosen markets. Founded as a subsidiary of Arthur D. Little, Inc., the company has provided strategic information services for 30 years, assessing international pharmaceutical and health care industry trends. Visit Decision Resources at http://www.dresources.com/.

Contact Frank Sama, 781.296.2553 (tel), 781.296.2550 (fax), or sama@dresources.com. In Europe, contact Francoise Bidart, +32.2.351.4082 (tel), +32.2.351.2347 (fax), or fbidart@decisionresources.be. In Japan, contact Makiko Yoshimoto, +81.3.5401.2615 (tel), +81.3.5401.2617 (fax), or makiko@bl.mmtr.or.jp.

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SOURCE: Decision Resources, Inc.