Monoclonal antibodies market dominated by Remicade and Avastin

With the rollout of at least eight new therapeutic monoclonal antibody products and expanded indications for existing products expected, the monoclonal antibodies market has been forecast to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 10.6% through to 2015.

Key factors contributing to this market growth include the increasing prevalence of cancer, along with the increasing use of monoclonal antibodies in the development of personalised medicines.

Monoclonal antibodies are monospecific antibodies that are the same because they are made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell, in contrast to polyclonal antibodies which are made from several different immune cells. Monoclonal antibodies have monovalent affinity, in that they bind to the same epitope.

Monoclonal antibody therapy is the use of monoclonal antibodies (or mAb) to specifically bind to target cells or proteins. This may then stimulate the patient's immune system to attack those cells. It is possible to create a mAb specific to almost any extracellular/ cell surface target, and thus there is a large amount of research and development currently being undergone to create monoclonals for numerous serious diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and different types of cancers).

The ability to treat complex disorders with lesser side-effects has accelerated growth of the monoclonal antibodies market, but high developmental costs constitute a major barrier for mid-segment market entrants.

Several monoclonal antibodies have become "Blockbusters", with sales exceeding $1 billion, including Remicade (Johnson & Johnson - $ 7.3 billion in 2010), Avastin (Roche - $ 7.0 billion in 2010), Enbrel (Amgen & Pfizer - $ 6.5 billion in 2010), Humira (Abbott Laboratories - $ 6.5 billion in 2010), Rituxan / MabThera (Roche, Genentech & Biogen - $ 6.8 billion in 2010) and Herceptin (Roche - $ 5.8 billion in 2010).

The US is projected to be the largest single market for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies from 2011 to 2016. This particular market was worth nearly $19.8 billion in 2010 and reached $20.1 billion by 2011. By 2016, the market has been forecast to grow to $27.4 billion, a CAGR of 6.4%.

For more information on the monoclonal antibodies market, see the latest research: Monoclonal Antibodies Market

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