Non-Hodgkins lymphoma drug market set to more than double by 2019

Driven by the launches of premium-priced therapies, the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma drug market will more than double over the next decade, increasing from around $4 billion in 2009 to $8.4 billion in 2019 in the leading markets of the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan, according to a recent report from advisory firm Decision Resources.

The findings from the Pharmacor topic titled Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma also reveal that market growth will be tempered by the entry of biosimilar versions of rituximab (Roche/Genentech/Chugai Seiyaku/Zenyaku Kogyo’s Rituxan/MabThera) in 2013 in Europe and in 2015 in the USA. Biosimilar rituximab will be priced lower than branded rituximab and, as a result of the widespread uptake of rituximab across all non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma populations, the entry of biosimilars will cause a significant drop in the sales of branded rituximab.

“Despite the entrance of biosimilars, rituximab will maintain its dominance as the market-leading agent through 2019,” said Decision Resources director Andrew Merron. “In an attempt to reduce the negative impact of biosimilar erosion on branded rituximab, Roche has developed a novel anti-CD20 antibody - GA-101 - and a subcutaneous formulation of rituximab that should help soften the anticipated drop in sales of branded, intravenously delivered rituximab,” he added.