¡¡¡¡WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world''s leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the Crohn''s disease drug market will more than double, from $1.5 billion in 2006 to $4 billion in 2016, in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

    The new Pharmacor report entitled Crohn''s Disease finds that market growth through 2011 will be driven by the continued use of Centocor/Schering- Plough/Mitsubishi Tanabe''s biologic agent Remicade, as well as by robust uptake of Abbott/Eisai''s TNF-alpha inhibitor Humira. From 2011 through 2016, growth will be sustained by Humira and the launches of UCB/Nektar''s Cimzia, Centocor/Janssen-Cilag''s ustekinumab, Abbott''s ABT-874, and Bristol-Myers Squibb''s Orencia.

    The report also finds that, although prescriptions for TNF-alphas will increase, oral aminosalicylates will remain the most widely prescribed agents across all major markets, owing to their advantageous safety profile. However, the 5-ASA class of aminosalicylates will see a steady decline in patient share as physicians begin to move away from these agents and use more aggressive biologics and conventional immunosuppressant therapies.

    "The development of effective therapies for Crohn''s disease has been hindered by a poor understanding of the etiology of the disease," said Kathryn Benton, analyst at Decision Resources. "A significant unmet need continues to exist for novel agents that can be applied early in the treatment of the disease to prevent surgery and hospitalization and to maintain remission."

    About Crohn''s Disease

    Over the past decade, Remicade has significantly expanded the Crohn''s disease market. Additionally, robust expansion of this market through 2016 will be driven by the rapid uptake of Humira and novel biologics currently in late-stage clinical development, as well as by more aggressive medical practices. Despite high unmet need and significant market growth expected over the next decade, barriers to entry remain high, as evidenced by recent failures and regulatory setbacks experienced by several drugs.

    About Decision Resources

    Decision Resources (www.decisionresources.com) is a world leader in market research publications, advisory services, and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources, and master their chosen markets.

    All company, brand, or product names contained in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

    For more information, contact: Elizabeth Marshall Decision Resources, Inc. 781-296-2563 emarshall@dresources.com

    Source: Decision Resources
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