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Last Updated: April 17, 2025

Drugs in ATC Class M01


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Subclasses in ATC: M01 - ANTIINFLAMMATORY AND ANTIRHEUMATIC PRODUCTS

M01 Market Analysis and Financial Projection

The market dynamics and patent landscape for ATC Class M01 (Antiinflammatory and Antirheumatic Products) reflect a complex interplay of clinical demand, innovation, regulatory challenges, and competitive strategies. Below is a structured analysis:


Market Dynamics

Market Size and Growth

  • The global anti-rheumatics market reached $66.1 billion in 2024, with a projected growth to $81.8 billion by 2033 (CAGR: 2.28%)[3].
  • Key drivers include aging populations, expanding healthcare infrastructure, and rising autoimmune disease prevalence.

Market Segmentation

Segment Dominant Category Notes
Drug Class DMARDs (Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic) DMARDs hold the largest share due to their ability to slow disease progression[3].
Administration Parenteral (injectables) Driven by biologics (e.g., TNF-α inhibitors) requiring systemic delivery[3].
Regional Trends Asia-Pacific growth Expanding access to advanced therapies in China and India[3].

Regulatory Impact

  • Centralized Procurement Policies (e.g., China) reduced prices for anti-rheumatic drugs by 17–70% in therapeutic categories like NSAIDs (M01A)[6].
  • COVID-19: Temporary setbacks due to delayed treatments, but recovery driven by pent-up demand[3].

Patent Landscape

Key Challenges

  • Patent Eligibility Uncertainty: Post-2014 U.S. Supreme Court rulings (e.g., Mayo v. Prometheus) created ambiguity around software and biologic patents. This risks disincentivizing innovation in drug delivery systems or combination therapies[2].
  • Evergreening Strategies: AbbVie’s Humira holds 132 patents across formulation, dosing, and indication extensions, delaying biosimilars until 2023[11]. Similar tactics are common in M01-class drugs like NSAIDs and biologics.

Emerging Innovations

Patent Focus Example Significance
Small Molecules SLC15A4 inhibitors (WO2021174023A1)[4] Novel anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
Biologics Modified mRNA for protein production (US20200354423A1)[8] Potential for next-gen biologic therapies.
Traditional Medicine 172 Chinese patents on herbal anti-RA therapies[15] Combines natural extracts with modern formulations.

Geographic Trends

  • China: Leading in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) patents (54% of anti-RA filings)[15].
  • U.S. and EU: Focus on biologics (e.g., TNF-α inhibitors) and targeted therapies (JAK inhibitors)[15].

Competitive and Regulatory Pressures

  1. Biologic Dominance: TNF-α inhibitors (e.g., Humira) face biosimilar competition post-patent expiry, but lifecycle management extends exclusivity[11].
  2. Antitrust Scrutiny: FTC and DOJ advocate limiting “patent thickets,” challenging firms that layer patents to block competitors[2].
  3. Cost Containment: Policies like China’s volume-based procurement force price cuts, narrowing margins for generics[6].

Future Outlook

  1. Personalized Therapies: Growth in biologics (17.4% of recent patents)[15] and JAK inhibitors targeting specific pathways.
  2. AI-Driven R&D: Patent landscaping tools streamline analysis of competitor activity and white-space opportunities[9].
  3. Global Expansion: Rising demand in emerging markets for cost-effective DMARDs and NSAIDs[3].

Highlight: “Patents are critical to innovation, but ambiguous eligibility standards risk diverting R&D investment to jurisdictions with clearer rules.” – Alden Abbott, Mercatus Center[2].


Key Takeaways

  • The M01 market is growing steadily, driven by aging demographics and biologic adoption.
  • Patent strategies balance innovation with regulatory pushback on evergreening.
  • Emerging economies and personalized medicine are pivotal to future growth.

For stakeholders, navigating this landscape requires agile R&D, proactive IP management, and adaptability to pricing reforms.

References

  1. https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB00586
  2. https://ipprotectionmatters.org/episodes/5f62ebb4-f481-435e-ad0f-d3a84e8914c1:the-2024-patent-landscape-and-a-roadmap-for-future-innovation-and-prosperity
  3. https://www.imarcgroup.com/anti-rheumatics-market
  4. https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2021174023A1/en
  5. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database/search-tips.html
  6. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.944540/full
  7. https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/air-traffic-control-equipment-market-159216929.html
  8. https://patents.google.com/patent/US20200354423A1/en
  9. https://www.ipcheckups.com/patent-landscape-analysis-how-to-5-steps/
  10. https://simplywall.st/stocks/sg/retail/sgx-m01/metro-holdings-shares/valuation
  11. https://dash.harvard.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/0b2cd634-f60c-422f-8861-74725c0c940b/content
  12. https://atcddd.fhi.no/atc_ddd_index/?code=M01A
  13. https://www.iqvia.com/-/media/iqvia/pdfs/belgium/sales-trends/2019/belgian-regmedbest-performers-for-april-2019.pdf?la=en&hash=3EE2841A13277B5367525739F10659C5
  14. https://www.tradingview.com/symbols/SGX-M01/
  15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26066366/
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATC_code_M01
  17. https://atcddd.fhi.no/filearchive/publications/2024_guidelines__final_web.pdf

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