March 7, 2019

Alzheimer’s Disease Market: Pipeline Review, Developer Landscape and Competitive Insights

By Arun Gupta Alzheimer's Disease 0 Comments

It was estimated that, in 2018, nearly 5.7 million Americans (considering all age groups) were living with Alzheimer’s disease. During the same year, Alzheimer’s Disease Market and other dementias were projected to be responsible for a healthcare burden amounting to USD 277 billion, in the US. Despite extensive research aimed at comprehending the etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, only six drugs have been approved since 1998 for treatment. The rate of failure of drugs being developed for treating Alzheimer’s disease is alarming (~99.6%) and is even higher than that reported for cancer (~81%). At present, several stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry are engaged in efforts to develop various types of disease modifying interventions and drug / therapy candidates that offer symptomatic relief.

I have highlighted below some of the most interesting insights from our study. You can also access additional details here.

Alzheimer’s disease, cited among the leading causes of mortality in geriatric patients, imposes a significant burden on the modern healthcare system owing to the lack of adequate tools to facilitate early diagnosis and limited treatment options

Insights from social media and other online information portals indicate the existence of a significant unmet need for effective treatment options and methods to facilitate early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

Presently, over 200 molecules are being evaluated, including certain repositioned or repurposed drugs, for treating different stages of the disease

Several molecules are in late stages of clinical development; based on a variety of established and novel therapeutic principles, these molecules are designed for delivery via diverse routes of administration

Innovation in this domain is being by both industry and academic players, and is evident across published scientific literature; there are several drug development programs against known biological targets

Despite extensive research efforts and a burgeoning pipeline, only six drugs are commercially available; among the reported reasons for failure, inability to achieve study (primary / secondary) endpoints is the most common

Several investors have realized the lucrative opportunity associated with drug candidates being developed to treat this clinical condition; over USD 2.8 billion has been raised across 180 instances recently