$20 billion in cardiovascular drug revenues soon subject to patent expiration

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Mar 30 2005

More than $20 billion in major cardiovascular drug revenues will be exposed to patent expiration in the next three to five years, according to a report by business intelligence firm Cutting Edge Information. The report, entitled "Cardiovascular Marketing: Budgets, Staffing and Strategy," available online, highlights the necessity of being able to adapt to the rapid and constant change seen in the pharmaceutical cardiovascular market.

Pharmaceutical companies spend more to support a cardiovascular compound's development and commercialization than they do on any other therapeutic products. Among top drug makers, sales from cardiovascular medicines may contribute anywhere from 20% to 50% of annual pharmaceutical revenues. Because of the great expense of developing cardiovascular drugs, top pharmaceutical companies are shifting away from developing new anti-anginal medicines for cardiovascular diseases. On average, new cardiovascular drug research is receiving only $83 million per company, according to a report by business intelligence firm Cutting Edge Information ( http://www.pharmacardio.com/ ).

In order for pharmaceutical companies to continue to invest in the development of cardiovascular drugs, blockbuster status is extremely important to achieve. "It is easy to see where the cardiovascular market is headed," said Elio Evangelista, senior analyst at Cutting Edge Information. "The tricky part is figuring out how to market your product to ensure blockbuster success. One cardiovascular marketing trend emerging is aligning cardiovascular marketing teams with clinical research groups to advance key compounds' efficacy and develop new forms of treatment."

The "Cardiovascular Marketing" report is designed to help managers and brand team leaders prepare a multi-faceted strategy to address cardiovascular market dynamics. Through metrics and detailed case studies, it explores real- company budget numbers, staffing resources, and activities timelines. The study addresses three main aspects of cardiovascular marketing and development strategies, including: