The ones to watch

 
April 2010

The granting of orphan drug status has enabled pharmaceutical companies to help sufferers of rare diseases, giving hope to patients with diseases that are unlikely to ever deliver a blockbuster drug.

The latest Ones to Watch report from Thomson Reuters focuses on the most promising drugs receiving approval and launched during October to December 2009.

The report looks at how the granting of orphan drug status has enabled pharmaceutical companies to help sufferers of rare diseases, giving hope to patients with diseases that are unlikely to ever deliver a blockbuster drug. As big pharma continues to move away from chasing blockbusters, they will likely be rewarded by a growing orphan drugs market, expected to increase to USD81.8 billion in 2011 from USD58.7 billion in 2006, according to BCC Research.

Here are the five most promising drugs launched or receiving approval as of Q4 2009:

DRUG

DISEASE

COMPANY

Sales Forecast*

Kalbitor®

Hereditary angioedema

Dyax

USD150 mil

Onbrez®
Breezhaler®

Chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease

Novartis

USD397 mil

Folotyn™

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma

Allos

-

Istodax®

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Celgene

-

Vibativ™

Gram positive bacterial infection

Theravance and
Astellas Pharma

USD128.2 mil

*Analyst forecasts based on estimated sales for 2013, where available. Source: Thomson Reuters

Additional details on these drugs, plus information on the most promising drugs moving through each of the clinical phases, can be found in the full report.