Niche, Lackluster: Summing Up 2008 NCE Launches
Executive Summary
The year 2008 won't go down as the bleakest for new chemical entity drug launches. After all, FDA did approve 24 novel biologics and new molecular entities in 2008, more than in any of the three years prior. But the NCEs that hit the market were in niche categories or crowded markets, and did little to energize flagging pharmaceutical sales. Take a look back at 2008 drug launches and fears that the traditional blockbuster is dead seem well founded. This article first appeared in The Pink Sheet on January 12, 2009.