Battle for HIV drug market share getting fiercer

The HIV market, worth $9.3 billion in 2007, is expected to grow to $15.1 billion by 2017, driven by the increasing prevalence of HIV worldwide and the longer life expectancy of patients receiving treatment. Despite this growth, the competition is getting tougher across all antiretroviral drug classes, which may cause some of the big players in the HIV market to opt out or be squeezed out. In 2007, HIV drugs generated sales of $9.3 billion across the seven major markets of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK and the US, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3% between 2004 and 2007. However, despite the increasing prevalence of HIV, factors such as the rising emphasis on cost containment, combined with the patent expiries of key marketed drugs, could inhibit future expansion. At the same time, newly... [read full story]