Huntington’s Disease Treatment Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Drug (Tetrabenazine, Deutetrabenazine, and Others), By Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Drug Stores & Retail Pharmacies, and Online Pharmacies), and Regional Forecast, 2023-2030

The global Huntington’s disease treatment market size was valued at USD 848.0 million in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 945.8 million in 2023 to USD 2,932.2 million by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 17.5% during the forecast period.

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a rare inherited disease in which the nerve cells of the brain start degenerating over time. It is a progressive disorder and has no definite cure. However, its symptoms, which affect the patient mentally as well as physically, can be managed. Some of the symptoms include mental or behavioral changes such as apathy, depression, irritability, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and, more rarely, psychosis. Physical symptoms include jerky movements in hands, fingers, and in facial muscles, which are called chorea. Chorea gets worse over time but can be managed with the help of two drugs that have been approved for this condition – Tetrabenazine and Deutetrabenazine. These drugs are currently the only approved drugs for the treatment of chorea associated with this disease.

Huntington’s disease is prevalent in regions such as North America and Europe, which offer a huge potential for market players to introduce novel drugs over the forecast period. Many research institutes and government organizations are providing research grants and technological support to accelerate the development of pipeline candidates. For instance, AMT-130 is a micro-RNA drug designed by uniQure to silence the Huntingtin gene and inhibit the production of the mutant Huntingtin protein. Such novel approaches initiated by market players will drive the global Huntington’s disease treatment market growth during the forecast period.

COVID-19 IMPACT 

Decline in Hospital Visits During COVID-19 Led to Slower Market Growth

During COVID-19, a huge decline in non-COVID-19 related healthcare services and procedures was observed in light of restrictions imposed due to safety concerns. This was especially relevant for rare conditions such as Huntington’s disease treatment, which was considered non-essential.

• According to the European Parliament, COVID-19 placed an unprecedented strain on the European health systems in 2020, shedding light on the need for more investment and better infrastructure. Rare diseases affect over 400 million people worldwide – more than cancer – including 30 million in Europe. Their unique, complex nature poses significant challenges for health and social care systems.

The market players experienced huge declines in their product revenue due to diminished demand for this disease treatment solution.

• For instance, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. witnessed a slower growth in terms of AUSTEDO sales. AUSTEDO exhibited a year on year growth of 54.6% from 2019-2020 whereas it was 102.5% for 2018-2019.   

However, consumers in the U.K. and Germany, which are key markets, utilized online pharmacies to procure repeat medications such as oral medications. This allowed companies to minimize the negative impact of the pandemic to some extent. As per quarterly report published by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the prescription for AUSTEDO drug increased from 156,994 in 2021 to almost 240,527 in 2022. Such trends indicate that the market is poised for steady growth in the number of patients for Huntington’s disease treatment during the forecast period.

LATEST TRENDS

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Novel Approaches Targeting Core Symptoms of the Disease to Create Growth Opportunities

Some of the prevailing trends witnessed in the global market are rising R&D initiatives of market players to introduce novel therapeutic options, which can target the core symptoms of the disease. One of the novel approaches to control or manage the symptoms of this condition is the lowering and modification of the Huntington (HTT) gene expression or prolonging the neurotransmission or electric synaptic transmission.

• For instance, SOM Biotech’s pipeline drug SOM3355 is a Vesicular Monoamine Transport (VMAT) inhibitor that acts by interfering with how dopamine messages are passed between neurons or synaptic transmission. The company is focused on rare diseases such as Huntington’s disease treatment by repurposing drugs that have already been developed and researched.

Thus, it can be witnessed that research & development initiatives, which include precision medicines and gene therapy for the treatment of core disease symptoms can contribute to the market’s growth prospects.

DRIVING FACTORS

Rising Prevalence of the Disease is Likely to Propel Market Growth

The rising prevalence of this disease in various regions, especially in the U.S. and key countries of Europe is a key factor augmenting the market growth. The disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder and has no definite cure. However, its symptoms can be managed. One of the first and core physical symptoms is the involuntary jerky movements called chorea that affect facial and limb muscles and get worse with time. 

• The Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) reports that there were approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans in 2021, with more than 200,000 individuals at risk of inheriting this disease.

The increase in prevalence of the disease will drive the demand for more effective therapeutic measures to control and manage associated symptoms. These factors will propel the market growth during 2023-2030.

Growing Government Initiatives to Increase Awareness of the Disease to Fuel Market Growth

Globally, government bodies are actively introducing new programs, campaigns, and beneficiary schemes to increase awareness regarding this condition, and educate patients about available treatment options. These initiatives are expected to lead to an increase in the number of cases diagnosed of the disease, leading to a rise in demand for innovative drugs.

• The U.K. government and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) signed the code on genetic testing and insurance, in which the applicant will get a life insurance coverage of over USD 694,444.4 if the predictive genetic test for this disease shows positive results. Such initiatives by government bodies would eventually lead to early diagnosis and timely Huntington’s disease treatment of patients, leading to the growth of the market.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Lack of Approved Drugs and Stringent Regulatory Policies May Hinder the Market Growth

Currently, there are only two drugs approved for the treatment of chorea associated with this condition and these drugs can only manage or control the symptoms but cannot cure the disease. Chorea is one of the core and first physical symptoms observed in a patient and gets worse with time if left untreated. Companies across the globe need to clear strict regulatory hurdles for the approval of drugs.

• For instance, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, in partnership with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd launched clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of tominersen in younger adult patients with this condition. Tominersen is an investigational antisense medicine which is designed to reduce Huntington (HTT) protein production, also called IONIS-HTTRx and RG6042. However, in March 2021, both companies discontinued administering the Phase II GENERATION HD1 trial after the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (iDMC) recommended it to be stopped. Due to such stringent guidelines, several pipeline candidates failed to demonstrate efficacy, and many companies fail to continue with the drug development process.

Such restrictions from regulatory agencies may influence the interest of market players, leading to slower market growth during the forecast period.

SEGMENTATION

By Drug Analysis

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Tetrabenazine Segment Dominated the Market Due to High Adoption Rate in 2022

By drug, the market is segmented into tetrabenazine, deutetrabenazine, and others.

The tetrabenazine segment dominated the global Huntington’s disease treatment market share in 2022. The drug has been in the market since 2007 and has a higher adoption rate due to the availability of its generic version. For instance, in March 2020, Apotex Inc. launched a generic equivalent of tetrabenazine in the market which is indicated for the treatment of chorea associated with this condition. The availability of the generic version of this drug at a comparatively lower price for such rare diseases will lead to higher adoption and demand, which is likely to contribute to the market growth during the forecast period.

The deutetrabenazine segment is estimated to grow at a comparatively higher CAGR due to minimal side effects associated with the drug. Moreover, the adherence rate of this drug refill is comparatively higher than tetrabenazine. For instance, as per an article published by BioNews, Inc. in January 2022, the proportion of patients with an adherence rate of AUSTEDO (deutrabenazine) refill is higher i.e., 78.5% compared to Xenazine (tetrabenazine) i.e., 69.3% was observed in a group of patient population. Such high adoption rate of deutetrabenazine among the patient population is expected to drive the segment’s growth during the forecast period.

Others segment includes pipeline candidates, which will exhibit steady growth over 2023-2030, after their prospective launches.

By Distribution Channel Analysis

Higher Procurement of Therapeutics Through Hospital Pharmacies Led to Segment’s Dominance in 2022

On the basis of distribution channel, the market is classified into hospital pharmacies, drug stores & retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies.

Hospital pharmacies segment accounted for the largest share of the global market in 2022 due to the need for the procurement of prescription therapeutics from hospital pharmacies. The dominance of the segment is attributable to the fact that majority of the medications for the treatment can only be prescribed after thorough examinations by trained medical professionals at these institutions.

The drug stores & retail pharmacies segment held the second-largest market share in 2022, owing to the usage of the settings for the procurement of prescription refills. The online pharmacies segment will grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to increased adoption of digital pharmaceutical platforms, which makes the medication procurement process easy by delivery at the doorstep. Hence, all these factors cumulatively will drive the global market growth.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

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In terms of region, the global market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world.

The North America market for Huntington’s disease treatment was valued at USD 787.3 million in 2022. The region is likely to dominate the market throughout the forecast period due to the substantial awareness amongst the population regarding the disease and rising support from many public and private organizations through research grants to accelerate the study of this disease. For instance, as per Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) 2021 publication, HDSA awarded five research grants of a total of more than USD 78,000 to the Huntington’s Disease Human Biology Project, a research initiative focused on better understanding and accelerating research for this disease in people. Such initiatives are likely to contribute to market growth during the forecast period.

Europe held a significant market share, due to the rising initiatives from the government to improve the quality of care and treatment of HD patients, which has aided to the market's growth in Europe. In December 2020, the European Huntington Association (EHA) and the European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) with financial support from F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. held a virtual policy roundtable to enable the necessary steps in order to provide quality care and treatment for people living with this disease.

Asia Pacific and the rest of the world, which includes Latin America and the Middle East & Africa, are likely to grow at a comparatively lower CAGR due to the comparatively lower prevalence rate of this condition amongst the population. As per an article published in the Open Access Text (OAT) in 2018, the prevalence rate in Americas, Europe, and Australia is 8-12 per 100,000 people whereas it is significantly lower in Asia and Africa with an estimate of 0.5 per 100,000 and even lower in African countries such as South Africa. Hence, the low prevalence rate translates into lower adoption and slower growth of the market across these regions. However, increasing awareness among the patient population toward available treatment along with improving reimbursement policies in these regions during the forecast period will contribute to their growth prospects.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and H. Lundbeck A/S Held Peak Position in 2021 due to Robust Product Sales

In terms of competitive landscape, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is one of the key players dominating the market. AUSTEDO (Deutetrabenazine) is a drug approved by the U.S. FDA in April 2017 and since then, the drug is exhibiting steady growth. Xenazine (Tetrabenazine) is another drug approved for the same indication in 2007 and is commercialized by H. Lundbeck A/S and Bausch Health Companies Inc.

Some other players which hold substantial shares in the market include Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc., Lupin, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, and others. These companies are generic manufacturers of tetrabenazine. The lack of approved products in the market has led to the development of an interest for other market players to develop new drugs to meet the clinical demand from the growing patient population. Market players, such as Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., Prilenia Therapeutics, Novartis AG, SOM Biotech (Spain), uniQure, Annexon Biosciences, and Hoffmann-La Roche, are focusing on the acceleration of the development of their pipeline candidates. New product launches would contribute to the global Huntington’s disease therapeutics market growth.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Israel)


• H. Lundbeck A/S (Denmark)


• Bausch Health Companies Inc. (Canada)


• Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (U.S.)


• Prilenia Therapeutics (Israel)


• Novartis AG (Switzerland)


• Lupin (India)


• Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (U.K.)


• Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. (India)


• Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. (India)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• December 2022: The U.S. FDA accepted the supplemental new drug application of Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. for valbenazine as a treatment for chorea associated with Huntington’s disease treatment.


• October 2021: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. received marketing approval for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease treatment and for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia in Brazil.


• December 2021: Novartis AG received Fast Track designation for Branaplam from the FDA for Huntington’s disease treatment. Branaplam is an mRNA splicing modulator that targets the HTT protein responsible for causing the degeneration of nerve cells leading to Huntington’s disease.


• September 2020: Prilenia Therapeutics, entered into a partnership with the Huntington’s Study Group (HSG) to conduct global Phase 3 clinical study of Pridopidine in Huntington’s disease treatment.


• May 2020: Teva Pharmaceutical, Inc. received approval for AUSTEDO from the China National Medical Product Administration (NMPA) for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s Disease and Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) in adults.

REPORT COVERAGE

An Infographic Representation of Huntington’s Disease Treatment Market

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The research report provides qualitative and quantitative insights on the global market and a detailed analysis of global market size & growth rate for all possible segments in the market. Along with this, the report provides an elaborative analysis of the market dynamics and competitive landscape. Various key insights presented in the report are the prevalence of the disease by key regions/countries, key industry developments, pipeline analysis, economic cost burden for the treatment of the disease, regulatory and reimbursement scenario, by key regions, and the impact of COVID-19 on the global market.

Report Scope & Segmentation