Ulcerative colitis market to hit $3 billion by 2020

BURLINGTON, Mass. — The market for drugs to treat ulcerative colitis will increase from 2010's $1.7 billion to $3 billion in 2020, according to a new report by market research firm Decision Resources.

Key factors driving the market will include uptake of Humira (adalimumab), made by Abbott and Eisai, and Simponi (golimumab), made by Johnson & Johnson and Merck, as well as drugs currently under development, like Millennium's vedolizumab and Pfizer's tofacitinib. Markets included in the analysis were the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and the United Kingdom.

"Currently in phase-3 of development for moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, but with scant robust clinical data at present to confirm positive phase-2 results, vedolizumab and tofacitinib will likely extend the treatment algorithm by offering — for the first time — additional lines of therapy for patients with inadequate response to the [tumor necrosis factor]-alpha inhibitors," Decision Resources analyst Kathrina Quinn said.

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