MENINGITIS TREATMENT MARKET ANALYSIS

Meningitis is an inflammation in the inner lining of the brain and spinal cord that results from infectious (viral, bacterial, and rarely fungal) or non-infectious (drugs, sarcoidosis etc.) factors. The swelling associated with meninges triggers symptoms such as painful headaches, fever, loss of appetite, and stiffness of the neck. Meningitis is a fatal disease and has a rapid onset of action. Meningitis can cause severe damage to the brain in almost half of the total infected population, if untreated. It can also lead to serious ailments such as mental retardation, epilepsy, and deafness. According to Meningitis Research Foundation, as of 2017, around 80% - 90% of meningitis cases are estimated to be caused by enteroviruses and the remaining 10% is estimated to be caused by herpes virus, mumps, measles, and human immune deficiency virus. The major causes of bacterial meningitis are Neisseria meningitis (causing meningococcal disease), Haemophilus influenzae type b (causing Hib disease), and Streptococcus pneumonia (causing pneumococcal disease). Prolonged exposure to these bacteria can spread the infection. In 2010, According to the Confederation of Meningitis Organizations Inc., around 50% of the bacterial meningitis cases occur in children under the age of five years and in adolescent and young adults from 15-24 year of age.

Meningitis Treatment Market Taxonomy

By Causative Micro-organism

• Bacterial
• Viral
• Fungal

By Treatment Type

• Antibiotic Therapy
• Adjunctive Therapy

By Vaccine Type

• Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine
• Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (MPSV4)
• Combination Vaccine

Innovation in technology to combat infectious diseases is expected to drive the future meningitis treatment market

Major driving factor for growth of the meningitis treatment market include the alliance of public and private sectors to increase availability of vaccine to the populace. For instance, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVIs), an international organization, brings together public and private sectors with a goal to provide access to all the latest vaccines to children in the world’s poorest countries. People suffering from immune compromised diseases such as HIV, cancer, diabetes, and organ transplants are at higher risk of contracting aseptic meningitis. Additionally, advancements in diagnostics and technological platforms are attributed to augmentation of the meningitis treatment market. For instance, in 2009, venture by Cadila with a U.S.-based vaccine company – Novavax, aimed to develop and manufacture therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines to combat infectious diseases. Introduction of new vaccine with improved mechanism, and growing advancement in genetics and immunology are expected to boost growth of the meningitis treatment market. Additionally, factors such as high incidence rate with major brain injuries via road accidents are propelling growth of the market for meningitis treatment worldwide. On the contrary, stringent regulations and alternate medications are factors hindering growth of the meningitis treatment market.

On the basis of geography, the global meningitis treatment market is expected to be the most prominent in the sub-Saharan belt of African, which is also known as the meningitis belt due to higher incidence rate of meningitis C. The second highest incidence rate is recorded in India as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), 2015. Around 12,000 cases of meningitis C and 800 deaths were recorded in Nigeria, in 2015. This indicates the rising incidence rate of meningitis, which in turn, is expected to propel growth of the meningitis treatment market in the near future.

Global Meningitis treatment market is expected to gain momentum due to high cases of acute meningitis

The key players operating in the meningitis treatment market include Biomed Pvt. Ltd, Novartis, Nuron Biotech, Pfizer, Baxter, Merck & Co., GSK, and Sanofi. The market is set to gain momentum due to current unmet needs of vaccinations and increasing incidence of meningitis globally. Joint ventures, collaborations, and investment in research and development activities by various companies are expected to boost growth of the market. For instance, to treat aseptic meningitis, Bristol-Myers Squib is focusing on development of biologics – nivolumab (Opdivo) is in phase 3, and ipilimumab in phase 2.