ANTIDEPRESSANT MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2024-2031)

The global antidepressant market is facing a major challenge due to the patent expiry of blockbuster antidepressant drugs over the coming years. Many top-selling antidepressant drugs will lose their patent protection between 2018 and2022 which include drugs like Lexapro, Cymbalta and Effexor. This will open the door for manufacturing of cheap generic versions of these drugs. It is estimated that generics versions can be priced 50-80% lower than the original branded version. The influx of generic versions is expected to greatly impact the sales revenues of leading pharmaceutical companies. They may lose a major share of their antidepressant drug market to generic drug makers. It may also reduce the profits of drug makers and potentially affect their investment in the development of new innovative drugs. Overall, the patent expiry of top-selling antidepressants is considered as one of the biggest challenges currently being faced by the global antidepressant market.

Market Opportunities: Combination Therapy Drugs

The global antidepressant market has a major opportunity in the segment of combination therapy drugs. Currently, majority of prescriptions are for single drug therapy wherein a patient is prescribed only one antidepressant drug. However, many patients do not get adequate relief from symptoms with single drug therapy. Combination therapy involving two antidepressant drugs combined together is now emerging as a promising therapeutic option. Combining drugs that work through different mechanisms allows lower doses of each drug to be used but provides superior efficacy. These combination therapy drugs have potential to provide better clinical responses and can also help reduce relapse and improve treatment compliance. Their introduction in the market will open new growth avenues for drug makers. It is estimated that combination therapy drugs segment will be one of the fastest growing segments in the global antidepressant drug market in the coming years.