FISH SKIN DISEASE MARKET ANALYSIS

Market Challenges And Opportunities

Fish Skin Disease Market Drivers:

The fish skin disease market is driven by several factors, including:

• Increasing prevalence of genetic skin disorders: The global fish skin disease market is driven by factors such as the increasing prevalence of genetic skin disease. For instance, in June 2020, according to a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), out of the 2214 participants in the study, 441 (20%) had skin diseases.
• Growing awareness and healthcare expenditure: The growing awareness about rare genetic skin diseases like Ichthyosis, along with increasing healthcare expenditure, is contributing significantly to the growth of the fish skin disease market. There is a rise in the diagnosis rates of ichthyosis as people are more educated now about such conditions due to the widespread availability of information on the internet and support groups creating awareness in society. This is allowing more patients to get timely treatment and take necessary precautions to manage the condition better. On July 19, 2023, according to Wolters Kluwer, an information services company, Ichthyosis vulgaris and X-linked ichthyosis were the most common types of ichthyosis, with an globally estimated incidence of 1 in 250 births and 1 in 6000 male births, respectively. However, many remained undiagnosed for a long time due to a lack of information and resources in the past. With increased knowledge, more general practitioners and dermatologists are now able to accurately identify Ichthyosis, even in moderate instances, which has increased the prevalence rates that have been recorded. This growing patient base is directly translating into rising demand for various treatment options and medication products available in the fish skin disease market.

Fish Skin Disease Market Opportunities:

• Increasing clinical trials for pipeline drugs: The fish skin disease market currently has several drugs in the pipeline that are undergoing various stages of clinical trials. These trials represent a significant opportunity for market growth in the coming years. Many of these pipeline drugs are aimed at rarer, more severe forms of ichthyosis that currently have very limited or no treatment options. If these medications prove to be effective, they may increase underprivileged patient populations' access to medicines. For instance, in June 2022, Timber Pharmaceuticals LLC, a biopharmaceutical company, initiated a Phase III, multicenter, double blinded vehicle controlled study of TMB-001 with a parallel optional maximal use arm- in treatment of RXLI or ARCI Ichthyosis in subjects aged more than 6 years. Additionally, pipeline drugs are exploring new mechanisms of action that could provide alternative treatment pathways compared to existing topical therapies. A few candidates are monoclonal antibodies targeting specific cytokines or pathways involved in skin barrier formation and desquamation. Successful clinical validation of these novel targets and mechanisms could drive brand new product approvals, label expansions, and better treatment responses for more patients.

Fish Skin Disease Market Restraints:

• Regulatory hurdles: The approval process for new treatments and therapies can be lengthy and complex, and regulatory hurdles can pose a significant challenge for companies developing new treatments for fish skin diseases. This can limit the ability of companies to bring new products to market and slow the pace of innovation.
• Lack of approved drugs for several subtypes: The lack of approved drugs for several subtypes is significantly restraining the growth of the fish skin disease market. Ichthyosis comprises several subtypes like lamellar ichthyosis, congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, X-linked ichthyosis, and epidermolytic ichthyosis. Currently, there are no approved drugs to treat a majority of these subtypes effectively. Most drugs available in the market only provide symptomatic relief and are not curative. For instance, emollients are commonly used to soften the thickened skin but do not treat the underlying cause. Oral retinoids like acitretin are the only systemic treatment approved for some mild subtypes. However, they have serious side effects like teratogenicity and liver toxicity when used for a long time. Due to the lack of targeted and safe treatment options, many patients do not get proper long-term control of their symptoms. This leads to poor compliance and discontinuation of medication. The development of new drugs requires extensive research and clinical trials that require significant investments. However, ichthyosis is considered an orphan disease with a relatively small patient population worldwide. This limits the interest of major pharmaceutical companies in prioritizing research and development of novel treatment options for various ichthyosis subtypes.