Osteoporosis Poor Disease Awareness and Patient Identification Hinder Market Growth

Introduction

Osteoporosis, with an estimated prevalent population of over 127 million in the seven major markets and valued at around $7 billion in 2002, presents a commercially attractive target for development. This report identifies trends in current prescribing practices, investigates how drug treatment differs according to disease severity and highlights unmet needs in screening and diagnosis. 

Scope

Analysis is based on a survey of 160 treating physicians in the seven major markets as well as in-depth interviews with osteoporosis opinion leaders 

Detailed treatment trees show the proportion of patients screened, presented, diagnosed and receiving treatment, by disease severity and country 

Assesses the use of combination therapy in key patient and physician populations. Gauges physician perception of R&D trends & potential of novel drugs 

Identifies therapeutic and diagnostic unmet needs, highlights areas where stakeholder investment is vital to drive patient identification 

Report Highlights

Datamonitor primary research has identified strong variances in class and brand prescribing preferences among physicians, according to both disease severity and geography. Combination therapy is prescribed in the US, Japan, the UK, France and Spain, though not in Italy and Germany. 

Just 10% of the prevalent population in the seven major markets are diagnosed and just over half of those are drug treated. Growth in this market depends on driving patient identification and diagnosis: potential barriers to growth include low disease awareness and limited access to and utilization of diagnostic tools. 

Three trends in osteoporosis R&D have the potential to radically change treatment and expand the market: SERMs in additional indications; PTH/anabolic drugs in fracture patients and novel bisphosphonates in flexible dosing and delivery formulations. 

Reasons to Purchase

Target physicians more effectively, through an understanding of prescribing behavior by specialty and its influences 

Understand differential treatment and unmet needs in key patient populations identified by sex and disease severity 

Validate new product forecasting based on diagnosis and treatment rates, and potential uptake for a new product based on physician’s perceptions.November 2003, 228 pages 

Publisher: Datamonitor Womens Health Reports 

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