The Parkinson’s disease (PD) market is expected to see significant growth in the 7MM*, with the decade starting 2019 seeing an impressive 12.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), according to GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company notes that this growth is largely driven by the launch of 17 new pipeline products, which are set to address key unmet needs in the space. However, these will come at a higher cost compared to the currently marketed products, fueling market growth. 

The company’s latest report, ‘Parkinson’s Disease – Global Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2029’, reveals that the market is expected to rise from $3.5bn in 2019 to $11.5bn in 2029.

Sarah Elsayed, Neurology Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The PD market is highly competitive, featuring many levodopa-combination therapies and adjunctive drug classes that aim to alleviate motor symptoms. However, these current treatment options are primarily symptomatic, off-patent, and not very effective in controlling the motor fluctuations that occur in advanced-stage patients.

“As a result, there are key unmet needs for drugs that have improved efficacy and delivery systems, and that provide disease-modifying benefits. New pipeline agents will aim to address some of these unmet needs and will have higher costs compared to the marketed products, which will fuel the growth of the PD market.”

Leading development strategies in PD across the pipeline mainly include the development of novel targets with potential disease-modifying properties and drug reformulations with innovative delivery systems.

Elsayed continues: “GlobalData anticipates that the most promising pipeline product will be Roche/Prothena’s PRX-002 (prasinezumab), an anti-alpha synuclein monoclonal antibody (mAb) in Phase II development. This drug has shown to potentially halt disease progression in clinical trials. GlobalData forecasts that it will generate global sales of $2.1bn by 2029, achieving the blockbuster status by 2028.”

Several late-stage pipeline agents have innovative systems for delivering levodopa therapy. This includes Intec’s Accordion Pill (levodopa/carbidopa) and Amneal’s IPX203 (levodopa/carbidopa), which are delivered orally in a gastric-retentive capsule to prolong the absorption of levodopa. Conversely, AbbVie’s ABBV-951 (foslevodopa) and Mitsubishi’s ND-0612 (levodopa/carbidopa) are delivered subcutaneously using an external small pump that maintains a continuous and steady flow of levodopa throughout the day and night.

Elsayed adds: “These products are expected to create improved options for physicians to control complications that arise with the continued use of levodopa. Therefore, some of these products are set to gain strong market uptake. The most promising drug in this group is forecast to be AbbVie’s ABBV-951 with global sales of $673.8m by 2029.”

* 7MM: The US, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK, and Japan.