Rheumatoid Arthritis Market to Hit $28.5 Billion by 2025

The rheumatoid arthritis space across the eight major markets of the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, and Australia is set to grow from $19.5 billion in 2015 to around $28.5 billion by 2025, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData.   The company’s latest report states that major growth drivers include an increase of prevalent rheumatoid arthritis cases, the anticipated introduction of interleukin (IL)-6 inhibitors, the launch and continued uptake of biosimilars for all established biologics on the market, and the early diagnosis and treatment of patients with the disease to limit progression.   The other drug class expected to command noteworthy market share is that of Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors. The uptake of Pfizer’s Xeljanz, the only JAK inhibitor currently available for rheumatoid arthritis had been low initially due to certain safety concerns, with primary research conducted by GlobalData indicating that rheumatologists reserve Xeljanz for fourth-line therapy. However, sales of the drug are expected to rise in the first half of the forecast, partly due to increased familiarity with the drug by physicians, as well as its potential launch in the EU.