Women's Health and the Healthcare Pharmaceutical Industry

Women are Increasingly Attractive to Pharma

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Sometimes - according to pharmaceutical companies - it’s hard to be a woman? From adolescence to old age, drug manufacturers offer artificial alternatives to the natural cycles of the body - contraceptives help avoid unplanned pregnancies, therapies aid fertility. But focusing on potential high earning products misses the long-term view: the creation of a female franchise that meets all of a woman’s needs from cradle to grave.

Women are increasingly attractive to pharma, and numerous companies are in development with treatments for gynecological conditions. The revenue potential for products addressing this market is immense; unsurprisingly, pharmaceutical companies are concentrating their R&D efforts where they are likely to get the best returns. “Historically women’s health has been dominated by a few companies focused on hormonal treatments,” says Datamonitor analyst Victoria Williams, “especially contraception and HRT. Hormones have been the cornerstone of women’s health therapies. But things are moving forward, and we’re seeing companies with no previous involvement getting into the market.

Osteoporosis is another big focus of research. This insidious disease afflicts around 20 percent of post-menopausal women, causing significant loss of bone mass and increasing the risk of serious fractures. Up to a further 50 percent of the post-menopausal population suffers a less severe form of the condition. Several drugs already exist to treat the growing population of women with this debilitating disease. The gold standard treatment is Merck’s Fosamax, which had sales of US$ 2.2 billion in 2002. However, these sales are expected to decline following recent launches, including Eli Lilly’s Evista and Forteo.

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