The atopic dermatitis (eczema) market is expected to reach $18.3 billion by 2027, according to analytics firm GlobalData.

The market is expected to grow from $6.4 billion in 2017 to a value of $18.3 billion in 2027 across seven major markets at a compound annual growth rate of 11.1%, as the drive to meet high levels of unmet need fuels growth. The seven major markets include the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Japan.

Widening appreciation of the varying nature of atopic dermatitis is expected to increase demands for new and alternate therapies as awareness that not all patients will react in the same way becomes increasingly widespread.

Antoine Grey, MBiochem, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, commented: "Developers operating in the dermatology space are aware of the enormous patient potential of the atopic dermatitis market; however, the challenge lies with the fact that first-line therapy is dominated by cheap, genericized topical drugs such as corticosteroids and TCIs. These have created a considerable barrier for any new drug hoping to penetrate the mild-to-moderate patient segment, and an additional obstacle for any developer looking to gain a meaningful return on investment for a novel therapy."

He added: "From an environmental perspective, the current understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis has improved but is still lacking, as the cause of atopic dermatitis has not been completely defined. If a genetic component or signalling error inherent to all atopic dermatitis patients is isolated, it could be used to make targeted treatments that could potentially cure the disease."

Patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis will be well-served by new therapies, however competition in this area is likely to be high, as seven of the eight new therapies forecast are targeted towards those with this condition.

Grey continued in noting: "The late-stage pipeline exclusively contains Interleukin (IL) inhibitors and Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors, some of which are being developed by companies that already have products in the atopic dermatitis market, such as LEO Pharma, and by others that have yet to become involved in the atopic dermatitis market.

"Regeneron/Sanofi will be seeking a label expansion for Dupixent into other age groups, and Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and AbbVie are looking to launch orally administered JAK inhibitors, two of which have been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA."

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