Human Papillomavirus Drug Market to Reach $1.4 Billion in 2012

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Decision Resources, Inc., a leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the human papillomavirus (HPV) market will grow from approximately $135 million in 2002 to $1.4 billion in 2012. According to the new Pharmacor study titled "Human Papillomavirus,' the most significant driver of the market will be the launch of prophylactic vaccines, the earliest of which are likely to be from Merck and GlaxoSmithKline/MedImmune.

Because HPV is implicated as the single most important cause of cervical cancer and is a source of significant financial burden, prophylactic vaccines will be well received by physicians.

"We expect the prophylactic vaccines to have a high level of safety and efficacy, and, given the level of physician awareness about the consequences of HPV infection, we expect these vaccines to benefit from high uptake and premium pricing," said Aarti Raja, PhD, an analyst at Decision Resources. "Merck's vaccine stands out from the others in that it incorporates the HPV types that cause genital warts and cervical dysplasia, thus expanding its target population to potentially include both males and females."

HPV infection, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, is now recognized as the causative agent of both genital warts and cervical dysplasia, the two major clinical manifestations of HPV. More that 1 million people are currently afflicted with genital warts and almost 13 million have HPV-related cervical dysplasia.

Pharmacor is a unique family of studies based on primary and secondary research conducted by Decision Resources' on-staff experts. Each comprehensive study assesses a host of market-impacting factors and analyzes the commercial outlook for drugs in research and development. Cardium, Cognos, Immune and Inflammatory Disorders, Infectious Disease, Metabolic Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders, and Onkos concentrate on specific therapeutic areas. Mosaic covers high-interest disease states. Human Papillomavirus is an Infectious Disease study.

Decision Resources is a leader in research publications, advisory services, and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources, and master their chosen markets. The company has provided strategic information services for more than 30 years, and assesses international pharmaceutical and healthcare industry trends.

Source: Decision Resources, Inc.