Slow growth forecast for cardiovascular drug market as blockbusters face generics

The cardiovascular disease market, which includes hypertension, dyslipidemia, and thrombotic events, is set to grow from $129.2 billion in 2015 to $146.4 billion by 2022, at a very modest compound annual growth rate of just 1.8%.

According to business intelligence provider GBI Research’s latest report, this relative stagnation can be attributed to major product approvals coinciding with key patent expirations. Within cardiovascular disease there are a number of blockbuster products that have recently gone off-patent, and others are expected to in the coming years, many of which belong to significant players.

For example, the current market leader, AstraZeneca’s (LSE: AZN) Crestor (rosuvastatin), generated around $7 billion in 2011, with revenues expected to drop sharply following the expiration of its patent on July 8, 2016. Total annual revenues are forecast to be around $1.3 billion in 2022.