Genital Herpes (GH) is A Life-long Viral Infection of the Genitalia and Urogenital Tract

Genital herpes (GH) is a life-long viral infection of the genitalia and urogenital tract. It is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and is a leading cause of genital ulcers around the world. Patients with GH can suffer from recurring episodes of symptom outbreaks, which usually involve painful ulcerations. The prevalence of GH in the seven major pharmaceutical markets (7MM) covered in this report (US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and Japan) has been increasing, and GH is beginning to be viewed as a significant global public health problem, especially because the infection can assist the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1).

There is currently no effective preventative vaccine or cure for GH, and the treatment landscape is dominated by generic nucleoside analogues. Despite the effectiveness of these drugs in managing the symptoms in the majority of patients, the lack of treatment alternatives and the shortcomings of the current treatments have stimulated investments in new treatment options for this vast patient population.

For the purposes of this report, GlobalData defines the GH market to include sales of GH-specific medication in patients 18 years and older. GlobalData expects the market to experience moderate growth that is primarily driven by the uptake of novel therapies – led by Agenus’s HerpV and Genocea’s GEN-003 – in the US and 5EU (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK).

– GlobalData projects the GH market in the US, 5EU and Japan to grow from approximately $490m in 2013 to $668m in 2023, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1%. This growth across the 7MM will primarily be driven by the launch of pipeline agents, especially the therapeutic vaccines in the US and 5EU, while continued generic erosion across the 7MM, particularly in the 5EU and Japan, is expected to curtail market growth over the forecast period.
– While pipeline agents have the potential to address some of the unmet needs in the GH treatment, available data do not demonstrate that they will be able to fully address these issues, according to interviewed KOLs.
– GlobalData anticipates that opportunities centered on the development of therapeutic and/or prophylactic vaccines, as well as antivirals with novel MOAs, will exist for current and future players in the GH marketplace for the duration of the forecast period.