Report: Latuda has greatest commercial potential among new agents entering the bipolar drug market

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma (TYO: 4506) Sunovion/Takeda Pharmaceutical’s (TYO: 4502) atypical antipsychotic Latuda (lurasidone) will experience significant uptake in the bipolar disorder (BPD) market following the agent’s June 2013 US label extension to treat bipolar depression, according to a new report from health care advisory firm Decision Resources.

In addition to established efficacy in treating this underserved BPD population, Latuda offers a mild metabolic profile relative to other atypical antipsychotics used in BPD such as olanzapine (Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa, generics). These clinical and regulatory benefits differentiate the drug within the crowded and increasingly genericized atypical antipsychotic class and will drive peak sales of Latuda in BPD to nearly $900 million in the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and Japan.

Generics will impact market sales

The Pharmacor advisory service entitled Bipolar Disorder finds that major-market sales in the BPD market will decline by 4.9% annually from 2012-2022, resulting primarily from generic competition for Abilify (Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s aripiprazole), Seroquel/Seroquel extended-release (XR) (AstraZeneca/Astellas quetiapine, AstraZeneca’s quetiapine XR) and other branded agents in the atypical antipsychotic class, such as Geodon/Zeldox (Pfizer’s ziprasidone) and in the antidepressant class, such as Cymbalta (Eli Lilly/Boehringer Ingelheim/Shionogi’s duloxetine).