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"We forecast the hepatitis B drug market to grow significantly in thecoming years," said John Lebbos, M.D., Vice President of Infectious Diseasesat Decision Resources. "Clinicians we interviewed expect that India'sincreasing wealth, urbanization, and disease awareness will fuel an increasein diagnosis, particularly following educational efforts surrounding theinclusion of hepatitis B vaccines into the universal immunization program in2009."
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Additionally, the report finds that the number of prevalent cases ofchronic hepatitis B virus in India (30.6 million in 2007) is three times thatof the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Japancombined. However, both diagnosis rates and drug treatment rates in India areextremely low, resulting in a virtually untapped antiviral market for thedisease.
"The general population does not regard hepatitis as a critical disease,"explains a general practitioner based in Mumbai. "For most people, it's seenas just normal jaundice. They won't understand the treatment or why theclinician is being so sensitive to them."
The report also finds that a drug's safety and efficacy profiles are themost important factors influencing physician choice of a hepatitis Bantiviral, yet cost is often a major concern of both clinicians and patients.A segment of interviewed specialists considered entecavir (Bristol-MyersSquibb's Baraclude) to be their drug of choice for hepatitis B, but its highcost results in infrequent use. Instead, lamivudine (GlaxoSmithKline'sHepitec, Cipla's Lamivir-HBV, GenixPharma's Heptavir, others) is the bestknown and most commonly prescribed antiviral for hepatitis B. Some clinicianshave slowed their prescribing of lamivudine because of resistance and are nowusing adefovir (Cipla's Adsera, SunPharma's Adfovir and Ranbaxy's Adheb),despite the cost of adefovir being more than twice that of lamivudine.
The new report is part of an expansion of the Emerging Markets reportseries to cover India. The series focuses on key urban areas -- Mumbai, Delhi,Bangalore, Chennai -- and the high-growth second-tier markets of Lucknow andJaipur. The Indian pharmaceutical market is estimated to have increased eightpercent from 2006 to 2007.
EMERGING MARKETS REPORTS
The Ultimate Analysis of Pharmaceutical Markets in China and India
Decision Resources is the FIRST and ONLY company to offer a syndicatedreport series for high-growth emerging markets with comprehensivedisease-specific analysis. Each report assesses the commercial opportunity inthe pharmaceutical market for a disease based on population demographics,economic development, disease epidemiology and changing physicians' practices.
About Decision Resources
Decision Resources (http://www.decisionresources.com) is a world leader inresearch publications, advisory services and consulting designed to helpclients shape strategy, allocate resources and master their chosen markets.Decision Resources is a Decision Resources, Inc. company.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 781-296-2563 [email protected]
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