The amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) market is expected to see significant growth in the coming years, but there is still plenty of work to be done within the space, according to a new analyst report.
GlobalData’s forecasts—focusing on eight influential countries: the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., Japan and Canada—show the ALS market expanding at an annual growth rate of about 15% over the course of a decade, from $317 million in 2019 to nearly $1.3 billion in 2029.
And there’s quite a bit of room for even more growth, as GlobalData pinpointed in interviews with key opinion leaders (KOLs) several unmet needs in the ALS space that must be addressed if any significant change is to occur in how the disease is treated; ALS currently has no cure, and it can take several months or even years to secure a diagnosis after the neurodegenerative disease’s first symptoms appear.
Chief among those unmet needs are demands for earlier diagnoses and for disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that could stop ALS’ progression or even reverse it completely, rather than simply slowing it down and managing symptoms.
Pharmas will be key to closing both of those gaps, according to Momna Ali, healthcare analyst at GlobalData, who suggested that drugmakers “have an opportunity” to educate doctors about the early signs of ALS. That education could come in the form of awareness-raising campaigns, continuing medical education programs or new research into the disease, funded by pharmas.
“Earlier diagnosis can be lucrative for pharmaceutical companies by expanding the treatment market and increasing sales volumes,” Ali said in GlobalData’s report. “Early intervention results in prolonged treatment periods, further boosting revenue, and finally improved patient outcomes enhance product reputation, driving demand and market share.”
As they expand the treatment market by speeding up ALS diagnoses, drugmakers can simultaneously set to filling that newly opened space by developing improved treatments for the disease.
In the GlobalData report, Ali cited several DMTs currently in development for ALS, including stem cell therapies from Corestem and BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, the latter of which recently secured an agreement with the FDA over the design of a phase 3b trial of its NurOwn treatment for ALS—as well as Ionis Pharmaceuticals’ antisense oligonucleotide candidate for the disease.
“They will all have to translate clinical trials into successes, which KOLs have stated has been a stumbling block for previous therapies,” Ali said. “However, if approved, these complex biologics will command a high price, which will be of benefit to pharmaceutical companies.”