Monday, July 14, 2008

Cystic fibrosis treatment market grew to $397M in 2007

By Mass High Tech Staff

The U.S. market for the treatment of pulmonary symptoms of cystic fibrosis grew more than 15 percent annually to $397 million, from 2000 to 2007, according to a new report , and several New England companies have been at the forefront of that sales growth.

The pharmaceutical and health-care research firm Decision Resources pointed to Novartis’ antibiotic Tobi and Genentech/Roche’s Pulmozyme treatment as leading the charge in cystic fibrosis treatment sales.

Locally, several companies have benefited from the growing market. Lexington-based Epix Pharmaceuticals Inc. grabbed a deal in April worth up to $37.7 million with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc. to develop a drug for the disease. And Cambridge-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported positive results in March from an ongoing Phase 2a clinical trial of a drug that targets a protein linked to cystic fibrosis.

Lexington-based Predix Pharmaceuticals Inc. also has a an agreement with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc., worth up to $16 million, for research into small-molecule therapeutics and initiation of screening efforts.

And Cambridge-based FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., a company focused on protein misfolding diseases, signed a deal with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to develop new drugs for cystic fibrosis worth $22 million over five years. FoldRx raised $43 million in a Series B financing in 2006 to focus on clinical development of the company’s lead clinical candidate, Fx-1006A.

Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc., in Cambridge, also develops treatments including the compound ALTU-135, designed to improve fat, protein and carbohydrate absorption in pancreatic insufficient individuals, including cystic fibrosis patients,