(Amherst, NH) – While still falling short of becoming a mainstream drug delivery technology, the transdermal patch is proving to be resilient. In the past few years, setbacks for patch products with high-volume potential such as the Ortho Evra contraception patch have further delayed the growth that has so far eluded the sector. But take a closer look, and you’ll find that the number of drug development programs based on transdermal systems has been growing over the past 24 months. More than forty companies have transdermal drug products under development for either initial approval or expanded indications. These products and candidates comprise thirty separate APIs and target more than twenty distinct therapeutic indications.
From its initial introduction until the late-1990’s, the transdermal patch was largely confined to delivering estradiol, nitroglycerin and nicotine. Today, these markets account for only a fraction of the total sales of prescription drug patches and the nicotine patch can be purchased without a prescription. In recent years, the number of approved patch products has grown and now include therapies in a number of new treatment areas, most notably neurology, pain management and urology.
Growth in demand for prescription drug patches is being driven by several factors – factors with strong demographic and population trend underpinnings. The aging population – particularly in North America and Western Europe, where the quality of medical care is high and consumers enjoy a relatively high standard of living – will create a growing market of mature and elderly needing drug therapies and pain management for a variety of maladies associated with the aging process. Transdermal patches provide an improvement in compliance over oral drugs and injections, since there is no danger of forgetting to take the medication, a common occurrence among elderly patients.
The growing population in developing countries, particularly on the African continent and in parts of the Pacific Rim and South America, will drive demand for patch products in the area of vaccines and contraception. These factors will contribute to the growth of prescription patches over the next five years.
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Greystone Associates is a medical and healthcare technology consulting firm providing services in strategic planning, venture development, product commercialization, and technology and market assessment.
