Drug Launch Watch List 2015

Oncology, cardiovascular, autoimmune/anti-inflammatories, and infectious diseases will be the top areas of investments in 2015, according to Frost & Sullivan. Pharma companies will also be keen to invest in in-vitro diagnostics such as biomarkers; molecular, tissue, companion diagnostics; predisposition disease; and predictive testing, added the company's Life Sciences Global Program Director, Jennifer Lazar.   Frost & Sullivan has released its "Drug Launch and Phase 3 Trial Watch List for Top Therapy Areas for 2015". It includes: 

• Puma Biotechnology’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor, neratinib, for breast cancer adjuvant therapy.

• Bristol-Myers Squibb’s PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab, for previously treated advanced melanoma patients. 

• Novartis’ selective IL-17A inhibitor, secukinumab, for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. 

• Novartis’ angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi), LCZ696, for the treatment of heart failure.

• AbbVie’s ABT-450/ritonavir co-formulated with ombitasvir (ABT-267), and dasabuvir (ABT-333) with or without ribavirin for the treatment of hepatitis C.

• GlaxoSmithKline’s RTS,S vaccine is expected to be the first malaria vaccine in the market.

• Sanofi Pasteur's Dengue Vaccine. 

In addition to new molecular entity product launches, Frost & Sullivan reports that there are "abundant opportunities for generic and biosimilar drugs due to the patent expiry of several blockbuster drugs in 2014 and 2015". Some of those include: 

• Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s Abilify (anti-psychotic) 

• Teva Pharmaceutical’s Copaxone (relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis) 

• Novartis’ Gleevec (chronic myeloid leukemia) 

• Forest Laboratories’ Namenda (Alzheimer’s disease) 

• Pfizer’s Zyvox (anti-viral) and, 

• GlaxoSmithKline’s Avodart (benign prostatic hyperplasia)