Pioneering the healthcare industry: What new drugs are coming to the market?

With chronic diseases on the rise, the demand for healthcare solutions is transforming the pharmaceutical industry. The global demand to meet these medical needs means that every year brings new and anticipated drug approvals. 

Recent announcements have seen new up-and-coming drugs anticipated to breakthrough the market: one to treat achondroplasia, another to help with type 2 diabetes and the third to treat alzheimers. So what exactly are these drugs and how are they pioneering the healthcare industry?

What is Voxzogo and how is it changing achondroplasia?

A groundbreaking new drug, Voxzogo, is the first of its kind to treat children with achondroplasia. Achondroplasia is the most common cause of dwarfism, with the worldwide incidence rate being approximately one in 25,000 live births. 

It’s a genetic disorder characterised by rhizomelic shortening of the extremities, frontal bossing, midface hypoplasia and increased lumbar lordosis. Individuals have undergone invasive surgeries to ameliorate complications associated with the disorder, such as spinal cord decompression and straightening of bowed legs. 

The abnormalities associated with achondroplasia increase the likelihood of obesity, heart disease, sleep apnoea, chronic back pain and spinal stenosis. 

Voxzogo has been a breakthrough for those suffering with achondroplasia and is now being used to treat children from the age of two until growth plates close. It is a daily injection which down-regulates fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR3) signals and promotes endochondral bone formation. 

It’s estimated that 75% of normal growth could be reached in children corresponding to their age. Studies have shown no adverse events related to disproportionate bone growth or bone pathology, such as accelerated bone age or decreased bone mineral density.

What is Tirzepatide and how is it changing type 2 diabetes?

Another new drug to hit the market is Tirzepatide, manufactured by Eli Lilly. Tirzepatide works as a dual GIP and GLP-1 agonist and is used to help type 2 diabetes patients keep their blood sugar levels and weight down. It’s the first of its kind to deliver more than 20% weight loss in adults that are overweight or obese. Whereas current GLP-1 agonist drugs on the market, such as Wegovy, deliver on average a 15% weight loss in adults. 

The need for Tirzepatide and other chronic weight management drugs is warranted as the prevalence of obesity is an increasing global problem and accounts for substantial mortality rates. 

In fact, 13% of adults in the world are obese and 39% are overweight. This comes with the increasing global share of deaths that are attributed to obesity, at an astonishing 8%. The need for obesity treatments proves apparent according to GlobalData, forecasting Tirzepatide sales to reach $6.8 billion in 2028.

What is Donanemab and how is it changing Alzheimer’s?

Another breakthrough drug currently under review by the FDA is Donanemab, which will be used to treat the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Alzheimer's disease is a fatal neurologic disorder that causes progressive decline in memory and cognition. It is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of all cases. There are over 50 million people living with dementia globally, with numbers expected to increase to nearly 152 million by 2050. 

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease but treatments, such as Donanemab, are developing to reduce the symptoms. For individuals with Alzheimer’s, abnormal levels of a naturally occurring protein, called amyloid beta, accumulate in clumps to form sticky plaques. The accumulation of these clumps are toxic as they collect between neurons and disrupt cell function. Donanemab aims to target and clear out these plaques, with its manufacturer Eli Lilly hoping to gain approval and hit the market in 2023.

What do these drugs mean for the healthcare industry?

Voxzogo is a transformational medicine and a medical first for the treatment of achondroplasia, making a huge impact on the healthcare industry. This means many more of its kind will be in the pipeline by manufacturers to compete in the market. Competition is beginning to grow in the market, and now other potential achondroplasia treatments are in development at Ascendis Pharma, BridgeBio and Pfizer. 

Much like Voxzogo, Donanemab is the first of its kind for the treatment of Alzhiemer’s, having a huge impact on the healthcare industry. The Alzheimer's disease market is dominated by symptomatic treatments. Now, Donanemab will bring an edge to the market as a disease modifying therapy. Other treatments with subcutaneous administration are in the pipeline by competing manufacturers with hope to gain a competitive edge over Donanemab. The benefit of subcutaneous administration over traditional intravenous administration is that it may allow for at-home treatment in the future. 

The development of Tirzepatide comes at a time when obesity is at the forefront of government agendas, with many manufacturers focusing on this area as well. The results that Tirzepatide is showing after its trials shows that innovation and development is still possible within medicated weight management.

Final Thoughts

The healthcare industry is going through a time of change and rapid development, as technology and science continue to advance. These advancements are unlikely to slow down in the next 5-10 years and we can expect to see more life-changing drugs come to market. Although seemingly for the better, questions around social/cultural difference, moral and economics will begin to surface, as these drugs become a part of mainstream life. 

By Madeleine Wynn-Jones, Research Executive

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