Frontier Pharma: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Identifying and Commercializing First-in-Class Innovation

Summary

The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) drug market is currently under-served by non-generic, targeted therapies. Whilst the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biologic, Benlysta (belimumab), generated sales of $111m in 2012, there is little evidence that the drugs performance is significantly superior to other B-cell targeted therapies such as Rituxan (rituximab), which is often used off-license to treat refractory SLE patients. Therapeutics entering the market therefore do not face the staggering level of competition from currently marketed programs as in other markets such as the Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) market. Emerging market entrants that appear to offer significant therapeutic benefits are likely to cause dramatic changes to the market landscape.

A growing understanding of the signaling pathways underlying SLE pathophysiology including, but not limited to, B cells, T cells and intracellular kinases, is translating into a higher number of novel, and more importantly, first-in-class targeted therapeutics entering the developmental pipeline. In particular, a high level of investment in the development of cytokine-blocking strategies is evident, as therapies targeting the interferon pathway are relatively common in the pipeline.

Scope

- The report analyzes the market for SLE therapeutics and the pipeline products in that market, with particular emphasis on first-in-class programs.
- A brief introduction to SLE, including symptoms, pathophysiology, disease scoring indices and overview of pharmacotherapy
- In-depth analysis and literature review on marketed products, including analyses of their safety, efficacy, treatment patterns and strengths/weaknesses, based on published clinical trials, as well as a reference table of drugs in terms of safety and efficacy
- Overview of how innovation products are contributing to the market for SLE therapeutics
- Comprehensive review of the pipeline for first-in-class therapies, which is analyzed on the basis of phase distribution, molecule types and molecular targets, as well as administration routes
- The changing molecular target landscape between market and pipeline, and, in particular, focal points of innovation
- First-in-class molecular targets, highlighting early-stage programs for which clinical utility has yet to be evaluated, as well as an in-depth literature review on novel molecular targets

Reasons to buy

The report will assist the business development strategies of companies that wish to develop novel therapies with improved benefits to existing treatments. It will also be of interest to companies seeking to expand their pipeline portfolio through licensing agreements and co-development deals. Primarily, the report will allow clients to identify and understand market opportunities and the emerging competitive environment. It will also allow you to -
- Understand the SLE pipeline and the factors which indicate that it is becoming more innovative
- Understand the overall focal shifts in therapeutic molecular targets for the treatment of SLE
- Understand the distribution of the pipeline programs by phase of development, molecule type and molecular target
- Identify the list of first-in-class programs that are potentially open to deal-making opportunities
- Understand the first-in-class developmental programs and gauge the current clinical effectiveness based on animal models