Prempro

Analysts do not believe, however, that there will be substantial growth from the hormone therapy category in the coming years.

After results from the Women’s Health Initiative were released in 2002, sales of Premarin, The study results found that hormone replacement therapy reduced the risk of osteoporotic fractures and colon cancer but increased the risk of heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, and blood clots, with overall risks outweighing the benefits.

These negative results led to a dramatic reduction in the use of oral hormone therapies.

"Nothing is radically going to change in the market except for more convenient formulations or lower side effects, but nothing will drastically change the market in terms of better efficacy or better safety," says Patrick Rajan, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industry analyst and team leader, Frost & Sullivan (frost.com).

"Basically what we see is that although the oral component of the market has taken a big hit and still will not recover to the level it used to be, we’ll see that offset by increased sales of the transdermal component." Wyeth’s Premarin franchise, which comprises Premarin, Read more...