Global Market and Medication Forecast

The global market for Fibromyalgia (FM) was valued at $1.7 billion in 2010 and is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.3% to reach $2.4 billion by 2018. The restricted growth in the market is due to the unavailability of approved drugs in the EU and Japan market, expected patent expiry of Cymbalta (2013) and Lyrica (2018) and lack of newer therapies in late stage FM therapeutics pipeline. Currently, FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved three drugs for the treatment of FM. Lyrica (pregabalin) was the first drug approved in June 2007 followed by Cymbalta (duloxetine) in June 2008 and Savella (milnacipran) in January 2009. Marketing authorization of these drugs has been rejected by EMEA (European Medical Agency) due low effectiveness and high adverse reactions associated with the drugs. Cymbalta was the first drug to be rejected by EMEA in 2008, followed by Lyrica in 2009 and Savella in 2010. However, increasing prevalence and diagnosis is expected to drive the future FM therapeutics market.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fibromyalgia-therapeutics---pipeline-assessment-and-market-forecasts-to-2018-132519348.html

Forest Laboratories, Inc and Savella

Forest Laboratories, Inc. 
The Quarter in Detail
Savella, which is approved for the management of fibromyalgia, posted sales of $23.7 million, up significantly from the year-earlier sales of $17.4 million.
Savella was launched in late April 2009. We believe the product may have multi-hundred million dollar potential.
In early October 2010, Savella was moved into tier II unrestricted coverage on several managed care organizations. Improved formulary access should help boost sales. Forest Labs entered into a collaboration and distribution agreement with Janssen to commercialize Savella in Canada.
 Savella sales are expected to grow 31%.
http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/51551/Forest+Tops+Again,+Provides+Outlook+

U.S. Fibromyalgia Patients Currently Taking an Approved Therapy are More Likely to Request a Discontinuation of Their Treatment in the Next Year Compared with Patients Taking a Non-Approved Therapy.

Eli Lilly and Co

 3/30/2011

EXTON, Penn., Mar 30, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Data from a recent report from BioTrends Research Group suggest that U.S. fibromyalgia patients who are currently taking one of the three agents approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia -- Eli Lilly's Cymbalta, Pfizer's Lyrica, and Forest Laboratories/Cypress Biosciences' Savella -- may have higher expectations for their treatment than patients taking off-label therapies. Approximately 40% of surveyed patients taking an approved therapy indicate they are "very unlikely" to ask their doctor to switch their therapy in the next year, compared with more than half of surveyed patients taking an off-label treatment.

"These data suggest that patients currently taking an approved therapy are not well-established on their current treatments, creating a higher risk of drug switching in these patients" said CNS analyst Andrea Buurma. "This indicates there is a significant opportunity for emerging novel agents."

Surveyed patients express they are most likely to request a switch to an agent that offers improvement over their current therapy in treating pain, fatigue, and/or sleep problems. "More than two-thirds of patients indicated they would be somewhat or very likely to switch to an emerging agent that offers improvement in these areas" Ms. Buurma said.

PatientTrends(TM): Fibromyalgia is a yearly report that investigates patients' attitudes, perceptions and behavior regarding their disease, with a focus on the patient's path to diagnosis and their perception of their interaction with their physician. The report looks at what drives patients' satisfaction with their current fibromyalgia treatment and identifies which drug attributes are most likely to prompt a patient to request a switch to an emerging treatment. This report is based on a survey fielded in January and February of 2011 with 500 U.S. patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

http://www.stockhouse.com/News/USReleasesDetail.aspx?n=8110160