Japan's antibody drug market to reach a value of 170 billion yen in 2010

The Japanese market for antibody drugs will double from about 80.0 billion yen ($739.0 million) in 2007 to 170.0 billion yen in 2010 due to sales expansion of existing agents and the expected launch of new antibody products, Seed Planning, a Tokyo-based marketing research company forecasts in a recent report.

Actemra (tocilizumab), a treatment for Castleman's disease from Chugai Pharmaceutical, was launched domestically as the first Japan-originated antibody agent in 2005. The compound was granted a second indication of rheumatoid arthritis in 2008. As well as Chugai, Kirin Pharma and Kyowa Hakko Kogyo, which will be integrated in October, have led the development in of antibody drugs. In addition to those which were developed by Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturers, many antibody agents, which were introduced by foreign-affiliated drug companies, have already entered the Japanese market, such as: Herceptin (trastuzumab), a treatment for breast cancer, from Chugai (Roche); Avastin (bevacizumab) for colorectal cancer from Chugai (Roche); Rituxan (rituximab) for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from Zenyaku Kogyo/Chugai (Roche); Remicade (infliximab) for RA and Crohn's disease from Mitsubishi Tanabe (Centocor); and Mylotag (gemtuzumab ozogamicin), for acute myelocytic leukemia from Takeda (Wyeth). Such drugs have formed the antibody market in Japan so far.

The market size will rise to 700.0 billion yen or 800.0 billion yen, accounting for 10% of the around 7,000.0 billion yen to 8,000.0 billion yen total ethical drugs market in 10 years time, because foreign affiliated pharmaceutical firms are eager to introduce their antibody drugs into the Japanese market and domestic drug majors - including Takeda Pharmaceutical, Daiichi Sankyo and Eisai - have initiated the development of such products by acquiring US bio-ventures with expertise of antibody drug technologies, the report pointed out.