Novel drug delivery market may be driven by hGH products

A surge in research into novel drug delivery systems will occur as companies seek to differentiate their products in response to pressure from biosimilars, according to a publication from Frost & Sullivan. The European Medicine Agency's (EMEA) approval of Sandoz's biosimilar human growth hormone (hGH), Omnitrope, in 2006, has cut the cost of treatment by 25 per cent. In response to this, Frost & Sullivan recommends that companies should seek to invest in drug delivery technologies to differentiate their products.

Prabakar Sampath, research analyst, Frost & Sullivan, said, ''One of the chief competitive factors for hGH products is the delivery method, which represents an avenue for product differentiation. Alternative drug delivery methods could increase the market size by attracting more users, particularly considering that the majority of hGH users are children below the age of fifteen and that hGH injections have to be given daily.''

hGH's biochemical nature means that it is more effective when injected directly into the bloodstream, which many patients dislike as a delivery method.  If a company could provide an effective, needle-free alternative for hGH delivery it could seize a sizeable proportion of the European hGH market, which is valued by Frost & Sullivan at  $ 846.4 million in 2007.