Transdermal prescription pain products market forecast to exceed $9 billion by 2015

As people live longer and advance in age, the incidence of several types of chronic and acute pain will increase significantly, driving growth in transdermal pain drug products at 9.8% CAGR over the next five years, reaching $9.2 billion by 2015, according to the latest estimates from Greystone Research Associates.

“Evolution in pain management guidelines and a better appreciation for pain-associated morbidity by clinicians are placing a higher level of emphasis on pain management as a quality-of-life issue for patients and their caregivers,” explains George Perros, Greystone Research managing director. “These factors are elevating interest in therapeutic options that can address this growing clinical need. Because they possess several features that improve patient safety and compliance, pain drugs formulated for transdermal delivery are well-positioned to capitalize on this opportunity,” he noted.

Drug therapy compliance is a key health care issue, one that is particularly problematic in aging populations and developing economies. Less frequent dosing has been a drug development goal for some time because it correlates well with better outcomes. Several new generation pain patch products are attempting to underscore this advantage by extending dose intervals even further, in some cases to once-weekly dosing.