In addition to the discussion and exhibition of novel drug discovery technologies at the annual Drug Discovery Conference in Boston this week, a number of informal talks with attendees centered around creating drug/device combination products and performing QA/QC of biotherapeutics. Both are activities that take place well beyond drug discovery operations in new drug development.
BCC Research estimates that the total market for drug-device combinations was $5.4 billion in 2004 and is expected to rise at an average annual growth rate of 13.6% to $11.5 billion in 2010. The key category is drug-eluting stent market which could total $8 billion in two years.¹
¹John Sterling, Editor-in-Chief, Genengnews.com