LONDON, November 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

A new report by visiongain predicts that the world market for AMD and DR drugs will reach $6.25bn in 2015. That revenue forecast and others appear in Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR): World Drug Market 2013-2023, published in November 2012. Visiongain is a business information provider based in London, UK.

Regeneron's 2011 launch of Eylea (aflibercept) has stimulated the market, proving to be one of the most successful biopharmaceutical launches so far. Eylea is in a three-way battle with Lucentis (ranibizumab; Roche/Novartis) and Avastin (bevacizumab; Roche) for the wet AMD market. Also, the R&D pipeline is strong.

Visiongain's study identifies key pipeline candidates including new anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs such as Allergan's DARPin, with an extended duration of action, and new eye drop formulations such as Alcon's ESBA1008 and Ohr's Squalamine. Beyond anti-VEGF drugs, the wet AMD pipeline is headed by Ophthotech Corporation's Fovista, a PDGF-B blocker which achieved high efficacy results in phase II as part of a combination therapy. However, the dry AMD and DR segments have even greater market growth possibilities, the report notes.

James Evans, pharmaceutical industry analyst in visiongain, said: "The DR market has been galvanised by the approval of Lucentis and Alimera's Iluvien in 2012, and there's plenty of room for growth in that segment. A 2011 study suggested that over 100 million people worldwide have DR, and over 21 million of them have diabetic macular oedema (DME), so that's a huge patient population.

"The real unmet need, though, is dry AMD, where there are still no drug treatment options. MacuCLEAR have reached phase III trials, and Alcon completed a phase III trial of Tandospirone in 2012. Beyond that, there's a massive range of approaches being tried, including blocking the complement cascade and modulating the visual cycle, on to things like neuroprotectants and regenerative medicine. Advanced Cell Technology's trial in dry AMD is now the leading embryonic stem cell candidate therapy in the clinic.

"In wet AMD, Eylea has made a massive impact, and looks likely to take nearly a third of the whole AMD and DR market by 2015. It isn't incredibly different to Lucentis, but has even greater VEGF-binding affinity and is a significant salvage option. A lot will come down to whether Bayer can get Eylea to mount the same challenge to Lucentis outside the US, with EU and Japan approvals coming in September 2012, and how fast Eylea can add new indications. Lucentis will be the first into most of the retinal submarkets, like central retinal vein occlusion. But the evidence so far is Eylea is a very competitive alternative, once it catches up."

The study forecasts that the AMD and DR market will continue to expand rapidly to 2023, with wet AMD treatment moving beyond anti-VEGF monotherapy, and treatment options emerging for the first time in dry AMD and DR.

Visiongain's report shows revenue forecasts to 2023 at overall world market, therapeutic submarket, product and national level. It forecasts these world-level submarkets:

• Wet AMD
• Dry AMD
• DR.

The investigation predicts revenues of leading drugs in the retinal disorders market: Lucentis, Eylea and Avastin. Research, data and analyses cover activities of Roche, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Allergan and other pharmaceutical companies.

That study discusses R&D and commercial news, shows research interviews and predicts revenues to 2023 in leading national markets. The work analyses the US, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Spain, Italy and the BRIC group.

Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR): World Drug Market 2013-2023 adds to visiongain's range of analytical reports on industries and markets in healthcare.

For sample pages and further information concerning the visiongain report Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR): World Drug Market 2013-2023 please visit http://www.visiongain.com/Report/924/Macular-Degeneration-%28AMD%29-and-Diabetic-Retinopathy-%28DR%29-World-Drug-Market-2013-2023

For an executive summary please contact:
Email: Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100

Companies Listed
Abbott Laboratories
Acucela
Adnexus
Advanced Cell Technology
Alcon
Alexion
Alimera Sciences
Alkeus Pharmaceuticals
Allegro Ophthalmics
Allergan
AMD Alliance International
American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS)
Applied Genetic Technologies
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
AstraZeneca
Athenagen
Atlantis Pharma
ATON Pharma
Avalanche Biotechnologies
Bausch & Lomb
Bayer
Bayer Yakuhin (Bayer subsidiary)
Biogen Idec
Biovail Corporation
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health and Science University
Chengdu Kanghong Biotech
Columbia University
CoMentis
Eli Lilly
Emory University
ESBATech
European Court of Justice
European Medicines Agency (EMEA/EMA)
Eyetech
Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)
Formatech
ForSight Labs
ForSight VISION4
Fovea
Genaera
Gene Signal
Genentech
GenVec
Genzyme
Geron
Gerot Lannach
GlaxoSmithKline
Human Genome Sciences
iCo Therapeutics
Icon Bioscience
Innovations in Sight
Institute of Ocular Pharmacology
ISTA Pharmaceuticals
Jerini
John Hopkins University
Kaplan Medical Center
Lions Eye Institute
Lpath
Ludwig-Maximilians - University of Munich
MacuCLEAR
MacuSight
Mayo Clinic
MedImmune
Merck & Co.
Mesoblast
Molecular Partners
Mystic Pharmaceuticals
National Eye Institute (US)
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE, UK)
National Institutes of Health (NIH, US)
Natur Produk
Neuron Systems
Neurotech
Novagali Pharma
Novartis
Numoda Capital Innovations
Oakwood Laboratories
OcuSciences
OHR Pharmaceutical
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Ophthotech Corporation
OPKO Health
Ora Bio
OraPharma
Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit, AGES
Othera Pharmaceuticals
Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Oxford BioMedica
Oxigene
Paloma Pharmaceuticals
Palomid Pharmaceuticals
PanOptica
PDL BioPharma
Pedinol Pharmacal
Pele Nova Biotecnologica
Pfizer
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Pieris
Potentia Pharmaceuticals
Prevent Blindness America
Probiotica Laboratorios
pSivida
Purdue University
QLT
Quark
Regeneron
Retina Macula Institute
RetroSense Therapeutics
ReVision Therapeutics
Roche
Sanofi
Santen Pharmaceuticals
Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho
SARcode Bioscience
Shire
Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI)
Singapore National Eye Centre
Sirion Therapeutics
Sirna Therapeutics
StemCells
Stemedica Cell Technologies
Symphony ViDA
Takeda
TargeGen
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
ThromboGenics
UCB
University College London (UCL)
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Florida
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Michigan
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International
Varinel
Vitreoretinal Technologies
World Health Organization (WHO) 

About visiongain

Visiongain is one of the fastest growing and most innovative independent media companies in Europe. Based in London, UK, visiongain produces a host of business-2-business conferences, newsletters, management reports and e-zines focusing on the Energy, Telecoms, Pharmaceutical, Defence, Materials sectors.

Visiongain publishes reports produced by its in-house analysts, who are qualified experts in their field. Visiongain has firmly established itself as the first port-of-call for the business professional, who needs independent, high quality, original material to rely and depend on.

Notes for Editors
If you are interested in a more detailed overview of this report, please send an e-mail to sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com or call her on +44(0)207-336-6100