Generic erosion set to shrink allergic rhinitis market, says Datamonitor, which predicts a 20% decline in sales over next 10 years

Market advisory firm Datamonitor estimates that there are approximately 181 million people living with allergic rhinitis in the seven major markets, driving disease specific drug sales of approximately $5 billion in 2009. This is set to drop to $4 billion in 2019 as a result of the entrance of cheap generics following patent expiries, most notably in the USA.

Despite the forecast drop in sales in the allergic rhinitis market, Datamonitor has identified potential growth areas, most notably in the immunotherapy segment of the market. Furthermore, life cycle management strategies have been identified that may help to lessen the impact of patent expiry of symptomatic treatments.

Potential for immunotherapy