There are more than nine pharmaceutical companies developing therapeutics that can be used to treat non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in the nine major markets (9MM*), says GlobalData. According to the leading data and analytics company, sales of drugs launching between 2021 and 2028 for NPDR are expected to reach $1.8bn.

According to GlobalData’s report, ‘Diabetic Retinopathy: Global Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2029’, combined sales of two anti-neoplastic agents: ziv-aflibercept and imatinib mesylate, are projected to climb from $19m in 2024 to $75m in 2026.

NPDR is currently treated with general anti-diabetic measures and administration of anti-VEGF drugs such as Roche’s Lucentis (ranibizumab) and Bayer/Regeneron’s Eylea (aflibercept).

Magdalene Crabbe, Senior Ophthalmology Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Although there is clear innovation in the pipeline for NPDR, drug development in this therapy area is not without its challenges. An estimated 60% of diabetics will develop symptoms of retinopathy within 20 years of diagnosis. This patient population is known for lack of compliance to treatment regimens that involve products that are administered in a clinical setting.”

NPDR is the earliest stage of diabetic retinopathy, and it is in this phase that effective treatment is most critical, because it prevents the damage to retinal vasculature that leads to the loss of central and peripheral vision.

Crabbe concludes: “For a drug to be well received by patients in this therapy area, it needs to be self-administrable, delay sight loss, have a low side-effect burden, and be covered by health insurance providers or be affordable for a patient who is likely to be treated for the remainder of their lifetime.”

*9MM: US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Japan, China, and Australia