Gene Therapy: Worldwide Current Development Status and Market Potential

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA— Research and development of gene therapy has experienced its share of hurdles in recent years, but has also begun demonstrating its potential. As a result of the technical sophistication and aggressive development by commercial and academic entities, the continued financial support evincing its real promise and the unabated clinical need of numerous patient populations, gene therapy is indeed headed toward market approval and introduction by the end of this decade.

Advances in utilization of viral vectors (adenoviruses, AAVs, retroviruses, HSV, lentiviruses, and RNA viruses) and non-viral vectors (cells, liposomes, DNA and others) have reached a level of sophistication for targeting single gene deficiencies, cancers, cardiovascular conditions, CNS conditions, tissue repair and other applications that is driving renewed venture capital investment and much commercial development. Despite some setbacks, a stunning number of companies and academic institutions are aggressively developing these gene therapies, with many in later stage clinical trials.

The MedMarket Diligence report on "Gene Therapy: Worldwide Current Development Status and Market Potential" (report #A605), publishing in December 2003, is a detailed assessment of the status of development in gene therapy and the outlook for its commercial introduction. The report details the techniques, technologies, and target clinical applications being pursued, with detailed data and insights on specific products and the numerous competitors vying to reach the market. The report provides a well-grounded assessment of the remaining clinical and commercial hurdles, providing a ten-year outlook for genetically based therapies. The report's analysis reveals windows of opportunity for current or hopeful competitors.

Selected companies pursuing gene therapies include the following: Aastrom, Aldevron LLC, AlphaVax, Inc., Althea Technologies, Inc., ALZA Corporation, AMDL, Inc., Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, AntiCancer, Inc., Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation, Ariad Gene Therapeutics, Ark Therapeutic, Athersys Inc., Austrianova Biotherapeutics, AVAX Technologies, Aventis Gencell, Avigen, Inc., Bavarian Nordic A/S, BD Biosciences Clontech, Biogen-IDEC, Bio-Rad, Cardion AG, Cell Genesys, Inc., CellGenix Technologie Transfer GmbH, Ceregene, Inc., Chromos Molecular Systems, Inc., Collateral Therapeutics, Inc., Copernicus Therapeutics, Inc., Corautus Genetics, Crucell NV, CytoGenix, CytRx Corporation, DNAVEC Research, Inc., Enzo Biochem, Inc., Expression Genetics, Inc., G.O.T. GmbH & Co. KG, Gene Therapy Systems, Gene-Cell, Inc., Genencor International, Inc., GenEra S.p.A., Genetic Therapy, Inc., Genetix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Genetronics Biomedical Corp., Genteric, Inc., GenVec, Inc., Genzyme Corp., Got-a-Gene AB, Henogen, IC-Vec Ltd, Imgenex In., Imperial College Innovations Ltd, Insert Therapeutics, Inc., Intradigm Corporation, Introgen Therapeutics, Inc., InvivoGen, MediGene AG, Merck & Co, Inc., MFIC Corporation, Mirus Corporation, ML Laboratories, Modex Therapeutics, Molecular Medicine Bioservices, Inc., MolMed, Mologen Holding AG, Nature Technology Corporation, NeuralSTEM, Inc., Neurotech SA, NsGene A/S, Nucleonics, Inc., Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Oxford Biomedica plc, Phogen Ltd, Polyplus-transfection SAS, Qbiogene, Qiagen, Regulon, Inc., REPLICor, Inc., RheoGene, Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Sangamo BioSciences, Inc., Schering AG, Selective Genetics, Sirna Therapeutics (Ribozyme Pharmaceutical), Supratek Pharma, Inc., Symbiontics, Inc., Takara Biomedical Group, Targeted Genetics Corporation, Therion Biologics Corporation, Tosk, Inc., Transgene S.A., Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc., Valentis, Inc., Vical Incorporated, Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., VIRxSYS Corporation, and Wyeth Lederle Vaccines.

Details on the report can be found at http://www.mediligence.com/rpt-a605.htm.

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