Singapore: A rapid heart rate is a common condition among elderly individuals, and represents a potential goldmine for pharmaceutical companies who can improve on the current treatment offerings, states a new report by healthcare experts GlobalData.

The new report shows that the supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) market contains several popular medications, but there is room to grow if superior efficacy and safety can be developed.

Tachycardia is defined as a condition of rapid heart rate, which affects the ability of the heart to pump blood efficiently. The key driver responsible for the growth of the market was an increase in the prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and Atrial Flutter (AFL), which represent forms of SVT.

According to the National Health Service (NHS), the prevalence of AF in the UK was estimated to be 1.4 percent in 2011, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that in 2050, 12 million people will be affected with AF. The incidence of atrial fibrillation increases with age, and therefore the increase in SVT can be linked to the increase in the aging population, as well as the rising prevalence of associated risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, mental stress, and lung diseases.

Currently, the SVT therapeutics market has several approved branded drugs, including Multaq (dronedarone), Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate), Brinavess (vernakalant) (approved in Europe), and Xarelto (rivaroxaban). Many antiarrhythmic drugs, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, and anticoagulants are also used to treat SVT. Patients currently benefit from good efficacy, dosage regimens and therapy durations, suggesting that current competition in the market is strong. However, GlobalData believes that the SVT therapeutics market still has significant unmet need, attributed to safety and tolerability profiles.