Neurodegenerative Disease Treatment Market

Neurodegenerative disease is a group of diseases or conditions that affect the neurons in the human brain. Inability of neurons to reproduce themselves contributes to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Hence, death of neurons indicates permanent loss which cannot be replaced. Neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. These diseases are also considered to be genetic. For instance, research studies indicate that over 5% of Alzheimer’s disease is caused by transfer of dominant genes in families. Similarly, Huntington’s disease follows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. However, the exact cause of these diseases is still unclear.    

Dementia represents the initial stage of neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer’s accounts for over 65% of the dementia cases globally. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are the common types of neurodegenerative diseases. Over five million people are affected by Alzheimer’s and  more than 500,000 people are affected by Parkinson’s in the U.S. Rise in prevalence of these diseases, increase in geriatric population, focus on research & development of novel treatment methods, and strong pipeline are anticipated to contribute to the growth of the market. Additionally, growing focus on the development of stem cell technologies for the treatment of the neurodegenerative disorders is expected to drive the market. However, continuous progression of the diseases, high cost of treatment, complexity of these diseases, lack of knowledge about the cost of the diseases, and low disposable income in certain regions are projected to hamper the growth of the market.

The neurodegenerative disease treatment market can be segmented based on treatment type, indication, and region. Based on treatment type, the market can be bifurcated into drug class and stem cell therapy. The drug class segment can be sub-segmented into dopaminergic compounds, cholinesterase inhibitors, antipsychotic drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and others. In terms of indication, the market can be segmented into Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and others. Alzheimer’s disease is anticipated to be the dominant segment during the forecast period owing to increasing prevalence of the disease.

Geographically, the neurodegenerative disease treatment market can be segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America was the dominant market in terms of revenues in 2016. It is anticipated to continue its dominance during the forecast period. Growth of the market in the region can be attributed to well-established health care infrastructure in the region, growing awareness among the people about the available treatment modes, and strong focus on research & development of novel therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Europe is anticipated to be the second largest market in terms of revenue and grow at slow rate in the forecast period. Slow growth in the region can be attributed to its sluggish economic recovery. The market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a significantly high CAGR during the forecast period driven by India and China. Growth in these countries can be attributed to the rise in the geriatric population that would expanding the patient pool and government focus on improving health care facilities.

Leading players in the neurodegenerative disease treatment market include Bayer AG, Biogen, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, Inc., Sanofi S.A., Merck KGaA, Novartis AG, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and QR Pharma, Inc., among others.