According to Artgen Biotech, the number of patients with interstitial cystitis will double in 10 years

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The biotech company NextGen (part of the Artgen Biotech group, MOEX: ABIO) has published an analytical review of the market for the treatment of interstitial cystitis, a chronic, disabling disease of adults.

In the world, the number of patients with interstitial cystitis is 9.5 million people with an annual increase of about 840 thousand people.

Interstitial cystitis is one of the most common causes of chronic pelvic pain. The disease causes frequent urination and urgency with incontinence, significant pelvic pain. In 30% of patients, the disease manifests itself in mild to moderate form, when the disease can be controlled through lifestyle changes and the use of over-the-counter medications. In 70%, the disease is severe and patients require more intensive treatment - prescription medications, surgery, even bladder amputation. However, effective therapy for the disease has not yet been developed, and there are no drugs on the market to cure interstitial cystitis completely.

In January 2024, the Russian Ministry of Health granted Nextgen permission to conduct clinical trials of Neovasculgen drug for the treatment of interstitial cystitis. Now the drug is actively used for the treatment of lower extremity ischemia, is included in the list of vital and essential drugs, included in national recommendations, federal clinical and statistical groups, and the Moscow compulsory medical insurance program.

This is the world's first gene therapy drug with the "therapeutic angiogenesis" mechanism of action (curative vascular growth). Since the drug targets tissue ischemia, it has the potential to treat other diseases that need to increase vascular density – particularly interstitial cystitis.

The global market for interstitial cystitis in 2022 amounted to USD 1.2 bln, of which USD 234.9 mln is accounted for by drugs. It is expected that the interstitial cystitis market in the seven largest countries - the USA, five European countries and Japan - will reach USD 3.3 bln by 2034 with an average annual growth of 5.07%.
There have been no epidemiological studies of interstitial cystitis in Russia. Estimates show that about 180 thousand people suffer from the disease in our country, with an annual increase of 20 thousand people. The estimated cost of treating one patient with medications ranges from RUB 21.5 to 50 thousand per year. Surgical treatment costs RUB 100-300 thousand per year, while the number of such interventions during the year can reach four surgeries.

In Russia in 2022, the market for drugs for the treatment of interstitial cystitis amounted to RUB 886.8 mln. In 2023, the market volume has reduced to RUB 760.5 mln, which is most likely due to inventory shortage (absence in pharmacies).
Of all patients with IC in 2023, 11% were treated, i.e., about 20 thousand patients received therapy for this disease. According to the base scenario, the number of patients being treated will increase to 22 thousand people in ten years. And if 25% of them, that is, 5.5 thousand, will use Nevasculgen, sales of the drug may amount to RUB 858 mln (11 thousand packages). The optimistic scenario assumes that the number of patients treated will be 33 thousand, and 9.9 thousand of which will use Neovasculgen. Then sales may reach RUB 1.5 bln (19.8 thousand packages.)

NextGen is a resident of Medtech, a resident of the Lomonosov cluster of the "Sparrow Hills" Innovative Science and Technology Center of the Moscow State University. The company is engaged in the development and implementation of gene therapy drugs, expanding the indications for use of the Neovasculgen drug.