Can newer agents break into the bone metastases market?
Two of the four bisphosphonates approved for use in bone metastases have already undergone patent expiry (pamidronate and clodronate), and patent expiries across the seven major markets** are also approaching for Bondronat in 2011 and Zometa in 2012 respectively. It may be that the availability of cheaper generic bisphosphonates poses a threat to newer, more costly agents in development for bone metastases, Ms Surti says. “On the other hand, new agents could see rapid uptake if they demonstrate higher efficacy and/or safety profiles compared to bisphosphonates. “It is likely that the approaching patent expiries will present an opportunity for emerging agents to enter the bone metastases market and possibly spur some further interest amongst drug developers,” she says. Amgen/Daiichi Sankyo’s denosumab shows promise At first look the bone metastases drug development pipeline may seem under-sized for a deadly metastases with a relatively large patient population that spans a variety of ma
