Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Drug Pipeline Analysis and Market Forecasts to 2016

13 Apr 2010 • by Natalie Aster

GlobalData, the industry analysis specialist, has released a new report, “Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Drug Pipeline Analysis and Market Forecasts to 2016”. The report is an essential source of information and analysis on the global irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) market. The report identifies the key trends shaping and driving the global IBS market. The report also provides insights on the prevalent competitive landscape and the emerging players expected to cause significant shifts in the market positioning of the existing market leaders. Most importantly, the report provides valuable insight on the pipeline products within the global IBS sector.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Market is Forecast to Show Significant Growth until 2016

GlobalData estimated the global IBS market to be worth $1.6 billion in 2009 and forecasts it to grow at 9.1% annually for the next seven years to reach $3 billion by 2016. This growth is primarily attributable to high levels of unmet need in the market which is expected to be served by strong pipeline candidates. The growth will be further supported by the high prevalence rates of the disease. However, the barriers for the IBS market such as the low treatment seeking rate, difficulty in diagnosis and the availability of generics may restrict the market size.

Current Irritable Bowel Syndrome Market Is Weak Due to the Availability of Limited Treatment Options

GlobalData analyzed the current competitive landscape for IBS drugs and found that the competition is weak. There are four commonly used approved products and a generic for the treatment of IBS. Amitiza from Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Lotronex from GlaxoSmithKline are the two approved drugs present in the market for the treatment of IBS-C and IBS-D respectively. In addition, peppermint oil is used for the treatment of symptoms of IBS including abdominal pain and abdominal distension and is available under the trade names Colpermine and Mintec. Generics do not hold a significant share in the market. GlobalData’s analysis of the entire competitive landscape of the branded products shows weak competition between the available treatments for IBS. The competition is weak due to a lack of competing products for Amitiza and Lotronex in IBS-C and IBS-D respectively. The market is under-penetrated and has a huge potential for molecules with better safety and efficacy profiles.

Strong Clinical Pipeline with Several First-in-Class Molecules

GlobalData analyzed the IBS pipeline and found it to be strong. The pipeline for IBS consists of more than 38 molecules currently in development. Most of these molecules are first-in-class, which are promising better safety and efficacy profiles. There are more than seven molecules in the Phase III clinical trial development stage. For example, Linaclotide (Ironwood Pharmaceuticals and Forest Laboratories), Xifaxan (Salix Pharmaceuticals) and Asimadoline (Tioga Pharmaceuticals) are among the most promising molecules in the Phase III clinical trial development stage. In addition, products DDP733 (pumosetrag; Dynogen) and DDP225 (Dynogen) are in Phase II of clinical trials for the treatment of IBS-C and IBS-D respectively. A strong clinical pipeline coupled with high unmet needs in the IBS market is expected to help sustain the market’s high growth rate during the forecast period.

The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Market Has High Unmet Need

The global irritable bowel syndrome market is attractive with high levels of unmet need. The unmet need in the market is around 39%, which is approximately $0.6 billion. Some of the unmet needs in this market are due to the lack of availability of effective treatment options, difficulties in diagnosis and the moderate safety profiles of the marketed drugs. The efficacy of the marketed products in irritable bowel market is only moderate. An efficacious drug cannot be developed due to the poor understanding about the pathophysiology of the disease. Therefore, the treatment is largely symptomatic and is only moderately efficacious. The safety profiles of the products available to treat irritable bowel syndrome are moderate.

The adverse effects of the drugs include nausea, vomiting abdominal pain and discomfort, none of which are life threatening. Apart from various drugs that are available for the treatment of IBS, certain probiotics, laxatives and dietary fiber are used for the treatment of the disease. In addition, other therapies could be developed as the pathophysiology of IBS becomes clearer. This suggests that there is huge untapped potential in the current IBS market. This could be captured by novel molecules, targeted to fulfill the current void left by the existing treatment options. Thus the IBS market has high potential for further research and development (R&D) activities.


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