More and more physicians are adopting an integrated approach to treat diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and thyroid disorders as they meanwhile attribute the causes of many complex clinical pictures to the multifaceted interrelationships between these conditions. In order to offer physicians and patients effective therapeutic approaches, the Merck Serono division has combined its portfolio of drugs to treat patients with these diseases in its CardioMetabolic Care therapeutic area. Sales by the CardioMetabolic Care therapeutic area increased by 11% to € 916 million, thanks to the strong growth of the Concor® franchise as well to solid growth of the Glucophage® and thyroid product franchises. Sales of other products, some of which we distribute only in individual markets, totaled € 921 million in 2008.
Bisoprolol – the leading beta-blocker in Europe
The Concor® franchise remains the top-selling group within CardioMetabolic Care. Sales of this beta-blocker containing the active ingredient bisoprolol increased by 14% to € 433 million in 2008. As the active ingredient in products such as Lodoz® and Concor®COR, bisoprolol is the leading beta-blocker in Europe. This region accounted for 73% of global sales. The growth of the Concor® family is due primarily to the excellent development of Concor®COR, sales of which increased 17%.
Metformin recommended for type 2 diabetes
The active ingredient metformin remains the drug of choice for first-line therapy of type 2 diabetes. More than six million patients worldwide are benefiting from one of our oral diabetes therapies based on metformin. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), around 246 million people have diabetes worldwide. Type 2 accounts for 85 to 90% of these cases, and the number continues to grow. According to a study by the Health Services Research Network, the number of type 2 diabetes cases in the United States alone is expected to increase to 29 million by 2050. The guidelines of the IDF, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) therefore recommend that newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes be treated immediately with metformin, for example Glucophage®.
Despite generic competition, sales of the metformin franchise rose 9.0% to € 290 million. Branded products from the Glucophage® family generated a respectable 6.1% increase in sales to € 252 million. Glucophage XR® – a once-daily formulation – performed especially well, with sales surging by more than 33%.
Thyroid hormone Euthyrox® continues to deliver
Sales of our products to treat thyroid disorders increased by 10% to € 150 million in 2008. Nearly two-thirds of sales were attributable to Europe. Sales of the thyroid hormone Euthyrox® increased by 12% to € 129 million. Currently, around 12 million people in more than 70 countries take Euthyrox® every day.
With drugs to treat hypo- and hyperthyroidism as well as to prevent iodine deficiency diseases, Merck Serono is the second largest supplier worldwide. In Europe, Latin America and China we are number one. Thyroid disorders are one of the world’s most prevalent diseases. According to epidemiological data, more than 300 million people suffer from hypothyroidism, i.e. underactivity of the thyroid gland, while not even 20% of them are currently being treated. We are therefore working to educate the public and improve awareness of the need to adequately manage this disease.
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