It is now normal to call biotech and small pharma the innovation engines for the pharmaceutical industry. IPO and ICOs abound, as dollars from venture capital truly flood the ecosystem. In 2018, biopharma investment is having a moment. Any big fluctuation, even a positive one, makes stakeholders nervous. Some of the investors might be tourists—Amazon, Google, Apple, IBM, JP Morgan, Berkshire Hathaway and a half dozen others are new entrants, whose long term goals remain unclear. Particularly disturbing are the health insurance and supply chain changes that make headlines, such as this one.

Urgency for an Antidote to Elephantitis

The opioid epidemic continues as one of America’s greatest public health crises as healthcare officials, public officials and countless Americans struggle to prevent opioid abuse, addiction and death. In a blog from 2017, Laurie Sullivan explores how one solution, known as The Smart Pill Drug Delivery Device, could be used to curb the crisis. Another possible solution? Prescribing more non-opioid painkillers. Click here to be notified when the BCC Research report “Non-opioid Pain Treatment: Global Markets to 2022” publishes later this month.

Smart pills are increasingly influencing our health. They are noninvasive and have redefined diagnosis, disease monitoring, and treatment adherence. By 2021, US sales of smart pills may double, reaching $1.2 billion. The global market for smart pills is poised to exceed a 20% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during the next five years, according to BCC Research’s recent study, Smart Pills: Applications and Global Markets. High-growth application areas include capsule endoscopy, patient monitoring, and delivery of therapeutic agents. The adoption of advanced ingestible medical sensor technologies is a key growth driver.

A higher incidence of chronic diseases worldwide and the demand for advanced medication adherence systems are fueling growth in this market, which has the potential to surpass $3.9 billion by 2021. A new study by BCC Research examines the industry’s prospects and technologies by disease applications and geographical regions.

Liquid biopsy is rapidly gaining traction as a supplement or alternative to tissue biopsy. Earlier this year, we noted that liquid biopsies continue to draw investments, and efforts prevail to establish the technique in mainstream medicine. Liquid biopsies have been likened to a Holy Grail of cancer treatment. By means of a simple blood draw, liquid biopsies aim to replace needle biopsies of solid tumors, which can be expensive for the healthcare system as well as painful for patients. For diagnosis of cancer, liquid biopsies could spare some of the risky tissue biopsies and reduce reliance on computed tomography scans, which must be limited because of the danger posed by overexposure to radiation.

The steadily increasing demand for substance abuse test equipment forms a building block for medical technology companies, according to a new study by BCC Research. From estimated sales of $3 billion in 2016, the global drug testing industry is predicted to reach almost $4 billion by 2022. Technological advances and the entry of new innovative companies in the diagnostics industry have transformed the market.

There is a growing need for the treatment or prevention of tropical diseases. Neglected tropical diseases are a significant cause of death and morbidity among affected communities worldwide. According to BCC Research, the total global addressable market for these diseases (see Table) was $1.4 billion in 2015. This market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.1% to surpass $2.6 billion by 2021. BCC Research’s study, Global Markets for Neglected Tropical Disease Treatments, found that some indications (such as the Ebola and Zika viruses) are resulting in double-digit sales growth, whereas others face declining investment.

The Chinese cancer intervention market is large, rapidly growing, and dominated by drug and equipment suppliers from outside of China. These are all important considerations for pharmaceutical companies in North America, Europe, and other developed regions that are seeking strong growth and high profits, reports BCC Research in a recent study, The Chinese Market for Cancer Intervention.

At the Internet of Things World 2017 conference held this month, self-healthcare emerged as one of the top 10 key areas that will drive growth in the Internet of Things. Self-healthcare was ranked with the likes of agriculture 2.0, smart cars, and energy grids. The use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications for self-treatment is on the rise. Major contributing factors include marketing of drugs in mass media, lack of time in people’s busy lives for appointments, and rising costs of health insurance. The National Library of Medicine states on its Web site that, although considered safe, there are risks associated with taking OTC medicines. Nonetheless, the market for these products is booming.

The global market for drugs that fall under the Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) is forecast to grow from $48.8 billion in 2017 to $99.2 billion by 2022, according to a comprehensive market analysis by BCC Research. In 2012, the US FDA launched the BTD pathway to expedite the approval of drug candidates that are intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases and that outperform existing therapies. The European Medicines Agency introduced a similar fast-track program, called PRIME (PRIority MEdicines), in March 2016.

“Our analysis of the breakthrough drug market shows that companies have an opportunity to leapfrog the lengthy drug approval process by up to three years, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and maximizing the length of time their drug is on the market before their patent expires,” says Kevin Fitzgerald, BCC Research Editorial Director.

OPPORTUNITY AND CHALLENGES OF A BREAKTHROUGH STATUS