New cancer drugs are a top priority for most pharmaceutical companies these days, but the sector's sales trajectory has flattened as key medicines lose patent protection and new breakthrough products prove scarce.
U.S. sales of oncology drugs increased just 3.5 percent in the first nine months of this year, according to pharmaceutical market information company IMS Health.
The sector saw sales growth of 23 percent in 2006, after Roche Holding AG's Avastin was launched. It grew by 14 percent in 2007 and 9 percent in both 2008 and 2009.
"This is an unprecedented slowdown," IMS representatives said at the Reuters Health Summit. "Growth is largely being driven by pricing increases," as well as the entrance of lower-cost generic drugs. Read more...
U.S. sales of oncology drugs increased just 3.5 percent in the first nine months of this year, according to pharmaceutical market information company IMS Health.
The sector saw sales growth of 23 percent in 2006, after Roche Holding AG's Avastin was launched. It grew by 14 percent in 2007 and 9 percent in both 2008 and 2009.
"This is an unprecedented slowdown," IMS representatives said at the Reuters Health Summit. "Growth is largely being driven by pricing increases," as well as the entrance of lower-cost generic drugs. Read more...
