Increasing Prevalence of Osteoporosis Worldwide to Augment the Osteoporosis Drugs Market Growth

 

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both, a condition in which bones become weak and brittle. Many people have no symptoms until bone fractures occur. Weight-bearing exercise, a healthy diet, and medication may help prevent bone loss or strengthen weak bones. Osteoporosis is considered a life-threatening disease due to severe injury and associated pain.

Bisphosphonates are the most commonly prescribed class of drugs used to treat osteoporosis and similar diseases. These medicines help control bone loss and reduce bone fragility. However, they are not very effective if the bone fractures as well as other fractures are caused by severe and widespread bone degeneration. They also do not work on the severe and massive hip or femoral neck deformities.

Market Dynamics

Increasing prevalence/incidence of osteoporosis around the world is expected to drive the growth of the osteoporosis drugs market. For instance, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 10 million people in the United States have osteoporosis, of which 80 million or 80% are women. Moreover, the increasing geriatric population (osteoporosis is more common in older people) is also expected to aid in growth of the market.

Moreover, the development of novel methods to treat osteoporosis by new drugs, rising drug approvals, and increasing awareness about the early diagnosis and treatment are expected to propel the growth of the osteoporosis drugs market. For instance, in April 2019, Amgen and UCB announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved EVENITY for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women at high risk for fracture. However, the drug comes with an FDA warning for an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death.

Furthermore, adverse effects associated with osteoporosis drugs (consumption of alendronate may lead to muscle and joint pain, nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux, or stomach pain) and low awareness and diagnosis of osteoporosis are expected to restrain the osteoporosis drugs market growth.

Competitive Analysis

Major players operating in the osteoporosis drugs market are Eli Lilly, Merck & Co., Procter & Gamble, Sanofi-Aventis, Enzo Biochem, Novartis, Roche, Wyeth, Amgen, UCB, BeiGene, GlaxoSmithKline, Bone Biologics, JHL Biotech, Teijin Pharma Limited, Keros Therapeutics, Cadila Pharmaceuticals, and Taro Pharmaceuticals.

Major players active in the market are focused on launching novel drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis. For instance, in August 2020, Cadila Pharmaceuticals (India) launch NuPTH, an osteoporosis biosimilar of Forteo in India for the treatment of osteoporosis.