Xerostomia therapeutics market to suffer a decline through to 2019

The xerostomia therapeutics market is set to suffer a decline through to 2019, experiencing a negative compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 1%, to see its market value drop from $293 million in 2011 to $270 million.

Evoxac and Ethyol are due for patent expiry in 2013 and 2017 respectively, which accounts for the anticipated market decline in xerostomia therapeutics, despite increasing patient prevalence expected throughout this time.

This decline is a contrast to the positive growth the xerostomia therapeutics market registered between 2006 and 2011, where the industry increased at a CAGR of 5.1%.

This growth can be primarily attributed to the rising prevalence of head and neck cancer patients subjected to radiation therapy, the rising number of patients suffering from Sjogren's syndrome, and the continued usage of highly-priced drugs Evoxac and Ethyol.

Xerostomia is the medical term for the subjective complaint of dry mouth which may or may not be associated with a lack of saliva.

Only three drugs are currently available to treat xerostomia. Evoxac is approved in the US and Japan to treat xerostomia associated with Sjogren's syndrome, while Ethyol (amifostine/MedImmune) is approved in the US and Europe for xerostomia associated with radiation therapy. Pilocarpine is an approved generic drug prescribed to both patient groups.

While these drugs are widely used in the treatment of dry mouth, they are all associated with adverse side effects such as sweating, headaches, nausea and vomiting, and are also expensive for clinicians to prescribe.

With no alternatives available, the market shows high dependence on these three drugs, two of which will reach patent expiry within the next few years, leading to the erosion of future market valuations.

For more information on the xerostomia therapeutics market, see the latest research: Xerostomia Therapeutics Market Report

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