Drugs based on immune modulation - a class that includes cytokines, lymphocyte receptors, signaling enzymes, antibodies and transcription factors - have demonstrated the capability to effectively treat a host of diseases that had previously been considered to be intractable. These therapeutic immune modulation drugs, which include the multi-billion dollar drugs Avonex, Remicade and Enbrel, have had a major impact in reducing patient morbidity and mortality for several disease classes. The result has been growing interest in this therapeutic approach to disease. Currently more than forty companies are pursuing drug development programs based on immune factors and signaling proteins. We expect pipeline immune factor drugs that will be launched over the next four years to push the worldwide value of this drug class to almost $40 billion.

Publication Date: May 2008