Slim success for pharma firms in obesity drugs

The pharmaceuticals industry has not been able to fully explore the potential of the obesity drugs market, which is expected to grow five-fold to $2.7 bn in 2016 from $478mn in 2006, according to estimates by Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading pharma advisory firms.

Also, statistics by World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest that the number of obese adults globally would rise from 400 million at present, to 700 mn by 2015.

However, unlike other lifestyle drug segments such as cancer or diabetes, obesity neither reflects major licensing agreements, nor does it have a plethora of new chemical entities (NCEs)—novel molecules that could become blockbuster drugs after development.

And the reasons for this have primarily to do with the high risk profile of the segment and the not-so-high success rate of existing obesity molecules, say healthcare industry experts.
According to Bhavin Shah, research analyst from derivatives firm Dolat Capital, “The potential is yet to be tapped and there is limited novel research happening, with very few NCEs in the offing.”

Although domestic firms such as Glenmark Pharma and Cadila Healthcare do have NCEs for obesity, currently the molecules are few and far in number and at very early stages. 

Internationally, the California based Arena Pharma’s lorcaserin and Amylin Pharma’s pramlintide/leptin combination are two of the few therapies that are showing promise, and are expected to be launched in major markets by 2011.

A senior executive from a US based drug firm says, “Lorcaserin and pramlintide/leptin will capture a big chunk of the obesity market in 2016 as physicians are likely to switch to these newer therapies.”

Says a vice-president, research, at an Indian pharma company, which has a molecule for obesity, “Obesity is a disease with unmet needs and so new pathways for treatment have to be devised.”

Of the two known obesity drugs in the market at present—orlistat and sibutramine— orlistat recently came under the scanner of the US FDA (United States Food & Drug Administration) on reports of liver injury in patients taking the drug.

Experts say that orlistat also causes abdominal discomfort, while the other drug sibutramine is associated with insomnia and rise in blood pressure.

The third obesity drug, Sanofi Aventis’ rimonabant, was under scrutiny last year when side effects of depression and suicidal tendencies surfaced.

Other than side effects, the fact that weight loss pills are not regularly prescribed has a role to play in the apathy of drugmakers towards this sector.

Says Avinash Katara, minimal access, obesity & general surgeon, PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, “Generally lifestyle and dietary changes are recommended for weight loss. Only in patients with a body mass index, or BMI, of more than 30 are weight loss pills advised.”

In morbidly obese people with a BMI about 37, surgery is recommended as drugs don’t usually work, says Muffazal Lakdawala, founder, Centre for Obesity & Diabetes Support.