Sneezing Out the Competition: New Allergy Treatments Heat Up the Market
Allergic Rhinitis Treatment Market Sees Growth Amidst Increasing Patient Demand
The number of patients with allergic rhinitis is on the rise, driving growth in the allergy treatment market. New drugs with effects close to a complete cure are being developed to meet the increasing demand.
Growing Patient Demand and Market Size
According to data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of patients with vasomotor and allergic rhinitis increased from 6.3 million in 2014 to 7.43 million in 2023. This represents a growth of over 1 million patients in just 10 years.
The market for rhinitis treatments, including steroids and antileukotriene agents, is also expanding. The antileukotriene market size reached KRW 200.1 billion last year, a 70% increase from KRW 117.7 billion in 2018. The prescription rate for oral steroids increased from 23.60% in 2010 to 28.70% in 2018, while the prescription rate for spray steroids jumped from the 10% range between 2010 and 2015 to 14.67% in 2018.
Competition for Generic Products Heats Up
The competition for generic products to enter the allergic rhinitis market is fierce. Sam-A Pharmaceutical’s ‘Citus Tablet’ (ingredient name: Pranlukast) recorded KRW 42.6 billion in prescription sales last year, a 274% increase from the previous year. Citus Tablet has a significant market share among anti-leukotriene drugs, with nine pharmaceutical companies developing generic versions.
New Drug Developments and Clinical Trials
Efforts to develop new drugs for allergic rhinitis are ongoing. Raphas, a company specializing in microneedle patch medicines, is developing the immunotherapy drug ‘DF19001’. DF19001 is an immunotherapy drug loaded with an antigen that causes rhinitis, and is the world’s first improved new drug using a microneedle patch.
United Pharmaceuticals is awaiting approval for a phase 3 clinical trial plan for an asthma/allergic rhinitis combination drug (development name UI064). GI Innovation is developing ‘GI-305’, a treatment drug targeting allergic rhinitis and asthma, with the goal of entering preclinical trials by 2027.
Industry Insights and Future Outlook
A pharmaceutical industry insider noted that combination drugs that do not cause drowsiness or have enhanced efficacy are being released in the allergic rhinitis treatment market. There is also a trend towards drug formulations that can be sprayed into the nose or chewed.
While there is still no treatment that has shown an effect close to a complete cure, new drugs that directly control immunity are emerging as an alternative. However, most of these new drugs are in the early clinical stages, and their safety and efficacy remain to be seen.