The global Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) treatment market will expand rapidly in value from approximately $179 million in 2013 to $499 million by 2018, representing an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22.74 per cent, says research and consulting firm GlobalData.

The company’s latest report states that of the six major markets (6MM: the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK), the US was the largest contributor to CS treatment revenues in 2013, generating around $129 million. The US will see this figure rocket to $371 million by 2018, claiming a 74 per cent share of the global market.

Increasing disease prevalence will be a major driver behind the significant growth in the CS therapeutics arena, along with the arrivals of Novartis’ Signifor LAR (pasireotide), a more convenient dosing regimen for Signifor, in the 6MM in 2018 and HRA Pharma’s Ketoconazole HRA (ketoconazole) in Europe in 2015.

Shaan Thakerar, MSc, GlobalData’s Analyst covering Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders, says: “Additionally, the US launch of second-generation steroidogenesis inhibitors, such as Cortendo AB’s NormoCort (COR-003) and Novartis’ LCI699, will also boost the market over the forecast period.

“These two drugs will be heralded by physicians and patients alike, as they will satisfy the high unmet need for safer and more effective products targeting CS, namely severe forms of the condition.”

Despite these various products’ anticipated introductions into their respective markets, GlobalData believes that considerable opportunities remain for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop improved treatment options.

Thakerar continues: “The complex nature and limited understanding of CS, and in particular the pathophysiology behind Cushing’s disease, a subtype comprising the majority of CS patients, will continue to hinder the development of efficacious, safe and tolerable agents, especially ones targeting the root cause of Cushing’s disease. We therefore don’t expect the major unmet need for such drugs to be met fully by the end of the forecast period.

“However, the CS drug landscape is thought to be at a nascent stage of transformation with the arrival of Cortendo AB’s NormoCort (COR-003) and Novartis’ LCI699, which will provide relief to some concerns over current therapies,” the analyst concludes.

OpportunityAnalyzer: Cushing’s Syndrome – Opportunity Analysis and Forecasts to 2018.