Singapore: A new report by healthcare experts GlobalData has revealed that on cytomegalovirus (CMV), which is generally asymptomatic in healthy children and adults, can manifest as a mild infection. Following primary CMV infection, the latent virus can reactivate under favorable conditions as a secondary CMV infection.

More serious problems develop in congenital CMV infection, which can cause serious disease symptoms and neurological disabilities. Immunosuppressed individuals can also suffer serious diseases from CMV, such as pneumonitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, gastritis and colitis. HIV positive individuals, organ transplant patients, bone marrow transplant patients and stem cell transplant patients, as well as patients taking immunosuppressants, are at risk of clinically significant CMV disease.

GlobalData estimates that the combined CMV infections market in the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Japan, to have been worth $685.50 million in 2011 and estimates that it will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.29 percent over the next eight years to reach $1.12 billion by 2019.

Roche's Valcyte is currently the only branded product for the treatment of CMV infections, but the impending loss of patent protection will overturn this market dominance. Aside from Valcyte, the market is completely dominated by generics such as ganciclovir, foscarnet, US biologic CMV-IG and off-label drugs such as acyclovir and valacyclovir. All have low efficacy and safety profiles, offering little competition to the market leader. However, Valcyte will face strong competition with the launch of the TransVax vaccine.