Substance abuse disorders are increasingly becoming a focus for companies active in niche psychiatric markets. The success of products such as Zyban has outlined the commercial potential in these disorders. Increasingly, manufacturers of established drug classes, such as the Ssri antidepressants, are attempting to move their products into these markets. This brief focuses on the two main substance abuse disorders (smoking and alcoholism) and analyzes epidemiology, current treatments, R&D pipeline and the captured patient share of each main product. The brief also examines the dynamics of the opioid and cocaine addiction markets, two areas ripe for commercial expansion.
