Biologic sales to pass innovative small molecules in next five years: GlobalData

According to GlobalData’s report, ‘Future of Pharma—Looking Ahead to 2022’, biologics are forecast to significantly overtake innovative small molecules by sales over the next five years

Biologics are set to overtake small molecules when it comes to sales revenue, according to GlobalData. Describing them as “primary engines of value creation”, Quentin Horgan, Managing Analyst for the Drugs Database at GlobalData expects that the trend of biologics use will continue, and the drug type will come to dominate the sales of both large-cap and mega-cap bio/pharma companies.

According to GlobalData’s report, ‘Future of Pharma—Looking Ahead to 2022’, biologics are forecast to significantly overtake innovative small molecules by sales over the next five years, with biologics forecast to have $120 billion greater sales than small molecules by 2027.

Horgan comments, “This huge sales growth emphasises a continuing trend towards the dominance of biologics. The whole sector is pivoting towards them, including new drug approvals and manufacturing. Nearly all biologics subtypes tracked by GlobalData are expected to grow significantly in sales revenue and will account for 55 per cent of all innovative drug sales by 2027.”

While monoclonal antibodies will dominate, gene therapies and gene-modified cell therapies will display the greatest growth, with a forecast increase of over 1,000 per cent for both molecule types between 2022 and 2027.

Horgan continues, “Unlike monoclonal antibodies, gene therapy sales are being driven by currently unapproved pipeline therapies such as RPA-501 by Rocket Pharmaceuticals, which is currently only in Phase I.”