Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa set for blockbuster sales of $1.3 billion by 2018 in the atrial fibrillation drug market

German independent dug major Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) will become one of the leading stroke prevention therapies in the atrial fibrillation drug market, generating blockbuster sales of $1.3 billion by 2018 in the leading markets of the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan, according to research firm Decision Resources.

DR's Pharmacor 2010 Atrial Fibrillation findings reveal that novel oral anticoagulants, most notably Pradaxa, Bayer/Johnson & Johnson's Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer's apixaban will drive significant expansion of the overall atrial fibrillation drug market over the next decade. Pradaxa is expected to launch for atrial fibrillation in 2011, followed soon thereafter by Xarelto. Pradaxa's success will be driven by its first-to-market advantage, coupled with strong results from the landmark RE-LY clinical trial, which were initially reported at last year's European Society of Cardiology Congress, says DR.

"Driven by their rapid onset of action and fixed-dosing, novel oral anticoagulants will account for almost three-quarters of the overall atrial fibrillation drug market by 2018," said Decision Resources analyst Matthew Killeen. "Among the emerging oral anticoagulants in this space, Pradaxa, Xarelto and apixaban will enjoy the most success and their availability will trigger gradual erosion of the market share of vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin," he added.