New entrants

The ophthalmological disorders market, which is set to almost double from $13.7 billion in 2015 to $26 billion by 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.48 per cent, will see the entry of a range of new companies over the forecast period as the treatment space is transformed by patent expiries and new product entrants, according to business intelligence provider GBI Research. The company’s latest report states that the ophthalmology landscape, which covers glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye syndrome, will see top companies lose a degree of dominance as smaller, specialized companies gain ground. Qaisrah Khalid, Associate Analyst for GBI Research said: “Four new companies – Ophthotech, Spark Therapeutics, Aerie Pharmaceuticals, and Eleven Biotherapies – will enter the market during the forecast period, and some of them are anticipated to become key players within this timeframe. “The current major players in the market, including Bayer and Novartis, are expected to maintain their strong positions. However, the new entrant Ophthotech is forecast to overtake Roche in terms of total revenue created within ophthalmology by 2022.” BLOCKBUSTER STATUS GBI Research says it is anticipated that Ophthotech’s Fovista will be approved during the forecast period, and reach blockbuster status within three years of being on the market, generating overall revenue of approximately $2.3 billion. Its approval in 2017 is forecast to generate revenue of $120 million, increasing at an extremely rapid CAGR of 52.44% between 2017 and 2022. Ophthotech secured the drug through a licensing agreement with Novartis, and Fovista is expected to have a greater effect on the market than older drugs such as Santen’s Cosopt/Trusopt, which has lower revenue due to generic competition. Khalid added: “In addition to Fovista, there are other promising products in late-stage development including SPK-RPE65, lampalizumab and Rhopressa, which all have different molecule types including aptamer, gene therapy, monoclonal Antibody (mAb), and small molecule, respectively. “GBI Research believes the introduction of these products will help to offset the impact of patent expiries of some of the most commercially successful products of the ophthalmology space, including Lucentis, Eylea, and Alphagan.”