New Insights Into The Global Market For Pain Management

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Article Date: 15 Nov 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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According to Arrowhead Publishers' new report entitled The Global Pain Therapeutics Market: Market Analysis, R&D Pipelines and (PRWEB) November 14, 2007 -- Competitive Landscape , one in five people suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain, and one in three is unable or less able to maintain an independent lifestyle due to their pain. Between 50 and 60 percent of people with chronic pain are less able or unable to exercise, sleep normally, perform household chores, attend social activities, drive a car, or walk. In the US alone, some 50 million people suffer with pain.

The value of the pharmaceutical market for pain relief in 2007 reflects this seeming worldwide epidemic of pain. By the end of 2007, the value of this market will top $32 billion. The leading class of drugs for pain relief is opioids, closely followed by NSAIDs and anticonvulsants, which makes a marked change on 2004, when Cox-2 inhibitors dominated. NSAIDs also gained market share in relation to Cox-2 inhibitors, reflecting the changing trends in prescription and safety monitoring. While Cox-2 inhibitors accounted for over 27 percent of the pain market by value in 2004, this percentage fell to 11 in 2006.

The Future of Pain Therapeutics

The pain therapeutics market provides considerable opportunities for pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and drug delivery companies alike, given the large unmet need for pain killers as well as the increased demand for more patient-friendly and abuseresistant drugs. Additionally, the high economic cost of pain serves to attract new entrants into the marketplace, as authorities seeks to contain related expenditure. On the other hand, however, the market is highly competitive, necessitating a targeted approach by various players.

In addition, as pain is a highly subjective sensation, it is often difficult to measure and compare, despite a variety of tools available. This characteristic makes the results of clinical trials more difficult to quantify and analyze, making the trial design a crucial process in the development program.

Medical, molecular and wider scientific advances are continuously improving the understanding of pain and pain processes, allowing for the identification of more compounds with a potential for pain management. Similarly, pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics progress has provided a new avenue for the development of more individual patient-tailored approaches to pain relief.

The comparison of emerging therapies is possible along a number of lines, such as delivery techniques. In the opioid market, for example, the search is on for a more convenient administration method than what is currently available. Sufentanil is being investigated for both transdermal - via a patch - and subcutaneous delivery, the latter using an implant system. They both have clear advantages in terms of convenience and cost over the usual intravenous administration, which requires professional supervision.

About This Report

The Global Pain Therapeutics Market identifies and discusses trends and issues that will have a significant impact on the pain management market and profiles the leading companies in the field. The report provides the reader with valuable information and analysis regarding key products on the market and in clinical development.

This 408-page report includes 96 profiles of companies engaged in the development and/or commercialization of pain therapeutics and over 160 tables and graphs illustrating sales trends, past and present, as well as pipelines and demographic and market trends in the area of pain management.

Key features and highlights of this report:

- Extensive review of key products indicated for pain conditions and their market value and impact
- Discussion of the key drivers of and restraints on the global pain therapeutics market
- Qualitative analysis of key pain markets and products driving growth (opioids, NSAIDs, triptans, neuropathic pain therapies (anticonvulsants) and Cox-II inhibitors)
- Profiles and reviews of key pipeline products in development for fibromyalgia, cancer pain, post-operative pain, migraine pain, neuropathic pain and opioid therapies
- Profiles of nearly 100 companies engaged in the development and/or commercialization of pain therapeutics worldwide
- Overviews of treatment options for post-operative pain, migraine pain, cancer pain, fibromyalgia, arthritic pain, back pain, neuropathic pain, and the demographic impact of these conditions.
- Chapter devoted to the role of drug delivery technologies in the current and future treatment of pain
- Discussion of promising areas of research in a variety of pain areas and companies engaged in cutting edge research and development

Arrowhead Publishers' new report: The Global Pain Therapeutics Market: Market Analysis, R&D Pipelines and Competitive Landscape (see here) is now available.

http://www.arrowheadpublishers.com