BioSeeker report "The next Generation Antifungals: Triazoles vs Peptides"
According to the Antifungal Work Group at NIH there is a “critical need for the development of antifungal agents“ (Draft report of the Antifungal Working Group). "There is not a single rapidly fungicidal, non-toxic drug available", they continue, and it is a requirement for fungicidal, broad spectrum, non-toxic, orally deliverable drugs to have a low cost. During the 1990's, the U.S. systemic antifungal market has grown 25% per year. The estimated health care cost of an episode of care for candidemia has been estimated to approximately $35 000 US dollars per Medicare patient (The Fifth NIAID Workshop in Medical Mycology, 2000). And with roughly 30 000 patients with candida nosocomial bloodstream infections per year, annual costs for just candidemia excedes $1bn US. There will be a tight competition for market shares when Pfizer’s patent on fluconazole (the active ingredient in Diflucan™) expires in 2004. Both Bristol-Myers Squibb and Schering-Plough will try to compete for market shares.

In this report we present new data on activities in the field of triazole and peptide antifungals. One new triazole (Vfend) and one peptide antifungal (Cancidas) have just been approved by the FDA. There are currently an additional three peptide antifungals compared to only one additional triazole in phase III. Thus one can expect a more straightforward developmental process for the peptide antifungals. However, no additional peptide antifungals are found in phases I or II. Both Vfend and Cancidas are expected to gain $300-500 M US in revenues already 2004. Within a five-year time span there could be at least an additional four triazoles and three peptide antifungals competing on the market.

Several novel targets for antifungal therapy are emerging. Most of these are in pre-clinical and phase I studies and will have at least 5-10 years before they reach the market. BioSeeker Group is studying these targets and antifungal discovery platforms closer and will soon publish a supplemental report.

Our Highlight Reports are produced to enable our customers to be updated on the progress within different sectors of the biotechnology industry, and will give you access to achievements and novel breakthroughs during the latest years of activities. Apart from the pharma industry itself, this report is of value to investors, science incubators, investigators, contract research organizations or any other types of organization that have an interest in new antifungal therapies.

This 53-page report focuses on achievements made in coming therapies for the treatment of fungal infections. Twenty-nine companies are involved in this development.

Topics considered in this report are:

• Research: spectrums, activities, side effects, resistance and drug interactions

• Patents: selected near-term key patents

• Clinical trials: indications, status and activities

• Partnerships: key collaborations for success

• Expected market launches and sales

Companies included in the report: Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Aressa Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Aventis (Hoechst Marion Roussel), BioLeads GmbH, Biosearch Italia, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CyDex, Eisai Company Ltd., Eli Lilly, Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co, GeneData AG, Genome Therapeutics Corp., GPC Biotech, J. Uriach & Cia. S.A., Merck & Co., Microcide, Micrologix, Mycologics, MycoLogics Inc, Pfizer, Phytera, Sankyo Co. Ltd., Schering - Plough, SS Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd., Toyama Chemical Co. Ltd., Toyo Jozo Co. Ltd, Versicor

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