Biogen Idec and Merck acute heart failure drugs prove promising

WALTHAM, Mass. Acute heart failure therapies developed by pharmaceutical giants Biogen Idec and Merck will add considerable value to the niche market, according to a report by Decision Resources.

The report, entitled "Acute Heart Failure", finds that the launch of Biogen Idec's Adentri and Merck's rolofylline, along with EKR Therapeutics' ularitide, will be the primary drivers of growth in the acute heart failure drug market over the next decade. Growth will also be driven by an increase in the number of diagnosed events of acute heart failure as a result of the rising population of elderly people, improved diagnosis methods and increased survival following acute myocardial infarction.

“Despite the significant unmet need, research and development pipelines for acute heart failure are not as robust as those for other cardiovascular indications such as hypertension and dyslipidemia,” said Decision Resources Analyst Amir Mobasheri. “As a result, any novel agent that can demonstrate improvements in safety and mortality and shows efficacy in preventing future acute heart failure episodes will be well received by physicians and patients.”

The report forecasts that the acute heart failure market will more than double, from $354 million in 2007 to $768 million in 2017 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.