Future likely to witness improved therapies and novel drugs to treat lifestyle disorders

Increasing genomic knowledge will lead to the development of improved therapies to treat lifestyle disorders. In the near future, the European lifestyle disorders therapeutics market is set to witness enhanced therapies and novel drugs to treat such conditions and reduce the risk of co-morbidities.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.pharma.frost.com), European Lifestyle Disorders Therapeutics Market, finds that the European obesity therapeutics market and European erectile dysfunction therapeutics market earned revenues of $668.1 million and $1234.2 million, respectively, in 2008 and estimates this to reach $1158.1 million and $2,168.2 million in 2015, respectively.

"The future is likely to witness improved therapies and novel drugs to treat lifestyle disorders and lower the risk of co-morbidities," notes Frost & Sullivan Programme Leader Shabeer Hussain. "However, the lack of investment in the current financial climate has dampened the development of newer therapies and technologies, while presenting a major challenge for small biotechnology companies."

As preventive care and personalised medicine come to the fore, more companies are venturing into lifestyle disorders therapeutics. These new developments are likely to present attractive investment opportunities to large biopharmaceutical companies.

Differing regulations are having an impact on drug launches; less price-controlled markets generally witness quicker launches while it takes longer in more regulated markets.

"With the increase in demand for new therapies, the degree of competition among pharmaceutical companies is also intensifying," says Hussain. "However, the requirement of high initial investments against the backdrop of the global economic slowdown and heightened cost containment measures, have led to temporary or complete halt in R&D of new drugs."

Nevertheless, the scenario is optimistic. With advancements in drug discovery, especially in the field of genomics, proteomics and chemical libraries, drug companies are exercising tremendous efforts to bring out novel therapies for lifestyle disorders. This is likely to attract more investments in the future.

"The EU healthcare system should encourage the development of drugs for lifestyle disorders through its healthcare policy by introducing clear reimbursement policies," advises Hussain. "Efforts should also be made to ensure a transparent, EU-wide harmonisation of regulatory policy and an enhanced approval process for lifestyle disorders therapeutics."