Erythropoietin (EPO) Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth and Change to 2030

Major players in the erythropoietin (EPO) market are Amgen Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Roche Group, Pfizer Inc., Novartis, Celltrion Inc, and LG Life Sciences Ltd.

The global erythropoietin (EPO) market is expected to grow from $0.96 billion in 2020 to $1.1 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.6%. The growth is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $3.11 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 30%.

The erythropoietin (EPO) market consists of sales of erythropoietin drugs by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that manufacture erythropoietin biosimilars. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone produced by kidneys and plays a vital role in the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Lack of sufficient erythropoietin results in low red blood cells, which may lead to anaemia. The erythropoietin (EPO) drugs are used for treatment for anaemia, kidney disorders, cancer, and other conditions.

The erythropoietin market covered in this report is segmented by product into epoetin-alfa, epoetin-beta, darbepoetin-alfa, others and by application into cancer, hematology, renal diseases, neurology, others.

The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.

Stringent regulations imposed on the production and sales of erythropoietin drugs are predicted to hinder the growth of the erythropoietin market over the forecast period. For instance, in European Community (EC), technologically advanced medicinal products manufactured using a biotechnological process such as recombinant DNA technology should comply with marketing authorization (MA) under provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 726/04 issued by EC. The regulatory policy for biosimilars is complex and in Europe is mainly governed by guidelines issued by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). In addition to this, recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) must fulfill additional product-class specific guidelines apart from regulations on quality, clinical, and non-clinical issues developed by the EMEA.

In August 2018, STADA Arzneimittel AG, a Germany-based pharmaceutical company, acquired majority stakes (51.34%) in Bioceuticals Arzneimittel AG for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is expected to expand STADA Arzneimittel AG‘s presence in the biosimilar sector. Bioceuticals Arzneimittel AG licenses marketing rights to epoetin zeta and epoetin biosimilar to STADA Arzneimittel AG. Bioceuticals Arzneimittel AG is a Germany-based company engaged in manufacturing and marketing active pharmaceutical ingredients including erythropoietin biosimilars.

The rising incidence of chronic kidney diseases is anticipated to propel the demand for the erythropoietin market over the approaching years. According to the Brazilian Journal of Nephrology’s statistics published in February 2019, kidney disease is a global public healthcare problem affecting over 750 million people across the globe. In addition to this, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s report published on chronic kidney disease in the United States, in 2019, 15% of the adults in the USA, or 37 million people are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is more common in people aged 65 or older (38%) than in people aged 45-64 years (13%) and 18-44 years (7%). Chronic kidney diseases lead to an anaemic condition which in turn increases the demand for erythropoietin to curb the condition, thereby driving the revenues for the market.

The countries covered in the market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.