Antidepressant growth expected

According to a new study, published by Waltham, MA-based research and consulting company Decision Resources Inc., on the market for drugs targeting depression, the estimated sales of antidepressant drugs - in the treatment of depression only - exceeded $6.4 billion in 1999 in the seven major pharmaceutical markets.

By 2009, the study forecasts seven-market sales of these agents for the treatment of depression will exceed $8.6 billion as a result of the introduction of novel agents and modest expansion in the diagnosed and drug-treated populations. In 2009, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sales for the treatment of depressive disorders will exceed $4.8 billion, despite numerous patent expirations and generic competition in most markets.

Decision Resources expects that total sales of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co.'s novel fluoxetine formulations for the treatment of depression will exceed $2.4 billion in 2009, or half of total SSRI sales for depression that year. The success of these agents will result largely from Eli Lilly's strong presence in the antidepressant market and from the formulations' modest advantages in tolerability and convenience.

According to the study, 76.4 million people suffered from depression in the world's seven major pharmaceutical markets (United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Japan) in 1999. PR