Despite generic erosion, asthma market will remain steady over next decade

The market for asthma treatments will remain relatively flat, increasing slightly from $15.9 billion in 2014 to $16.2 billion in 2024 across the seven major markets (the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Japan), according to a new report.

The current market leaders, including GlaxoSmithKline's (LSE: GSK) Advair/Seretide/Adoair (salmeterol and fluticasone propionate) and AstraZeneca's (LSE: AZN) Symbicort, will undergo substantial generic erosion, according to market research group Decision Resources.

However, asthma sales in later years will be driven by the expected launches of six novel anticytokine agents - GSK's Nucala (mepolizumab), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ (NYSE: TEVA) Cinquil (reslizumab), AstraZeneca's benralizumab and tralokinumab, Roche (ROG: SIX)/Chugai's lebrikizumab, and Sanofi (Euronext: SAN)/Regeneron's dupilumab,—as well as uptake of the once-daily LABA/ICS combination GSK/Theravance's Breo/Relvar and Boehringer Ingelheim's Spiriva (tiotropium), both of which recently won asthma labels.