AstraZeneca Invests In Development of Rare Immunotherapies Through Alexion Acquisition

The deal helps AstraZeneca to develop novel medicines in areas of immunology and rare diseases with high unmet medical needs

AstraZeneca completes the acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals in a deal valued at $39 billion. The acquisition process started in 2020 has been approved by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently marking the closure of the deal.

AstraZeneca aims to achieve $40bn sales by 2025, up from $26bn in 2020, through the acquisition of Alexion’s pipeline portfolio which includes blockbuster immunotherapy drugs — Soliris and Ultomiris. With the current market value being around $6bn for these two blockbuster drugs and an expected double-digit revenue growth for the other Alexion’s pipeline, AstraZeneca is ambitious in reaching the set $40 bn financial targets through this deal. The double-digit growth estimates are in line with The Business Research Company’s report, where the global immunotherapy drugs market is estimated to grow from $149.31 billion in 2020 to $248.27 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5%.

The drugs for immunotherapy market covered in the report, also available on Global Market Model, are segmented by type, by therapy area, and by end-users.

The global drugs for the immunotherapy market report is segmented -

1) By Type: Monoclonal Antibodies, Interferons, Interleukins, Vaccines, Checkpoint Inhibitors, Others

2) By Therapy Area: Cancer, Autoimmune & Inflammatory Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Others

3) By End User: Hospitals & Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Others

AstraZeneca plans to establish a separate rare diseases division at Boston to develop Alexion’s innovative complement technology platforms. AstraZeneca, with Alexion's R&D team, will work to build on Alexion's pipeline molecules across more than 20 clinical-development programs across the spectrum of indications, in rare diseases and common ailments for immunology, oncology, neurology and respiratory, and others. AstraZeneca's strong presence across the globe will help drive the sales of Alexion’s drugs.

The rare diseases therapy area has high growth potential with rapid innovation and significant unmet medical needs. Over 7,000 rare diseases are known today, and only about 5% have US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments. The global rare disease market is forecasted to grow by a low double-digit percentage in the next 5 years according to The Business Research Company Report on the Orphan Drugs Market. 

According to TBRC, the global orphan drugs market size is expected to grow from $135.2 billion in 2020 to $141.91 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5%. The orphan drugs market is expected to reach $183.27 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 7%. The rising prevalence of rare diseases is a key factor driving the growth of the orphan drugs market. Orphan diseases or rare diseases occur rarely among people (i.e., 7 out of 10,000). However, globally, the prevalence of rare diseases is increasing in recent years. According to the study published in the European Journal of Human Genetics in 2019, there are 300 million cases of rare diseases, and approximately 4% of the total population is affected by a rare disease at any point in time. Thus, the rising prevalence of rare diseases is driving the growth of the orphan drugs market.

The global orphan drugs market by TBRC is segmented -

1) By Therapy Area: Oncology, Blood, Central Nervous System, Endocrine, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Immunomodulatory

2) By Distribution Channel: Hospital Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy, Online Sales

3) By Drug Type: Biological, Non-Biological

4) By Disease Type: Oncology, Hematology, Neurology, Cardiovascular, Others

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