According to a study from the State University of Rio de Janeiro in 2012, nearly 10%-15% of the general population suffers from insomnia worldwide. The study highlights the strong presence of insomnia in Europe, especially in France and the UK, where 10.1% of individuals aged above 15 have trouble sleeping and 22.2% experience difficulty in maintaining sleep.

The map below shows the age standardized DALY (disability-adjusted life year) rates from insomnia by country per 100,000 inhabitants. DALY is a measure of overall disease burden and can be thought of as one lost year of healthy life.



via chartsbin.com

Data from WHO

The global insomnia drugs market is expected to decline from its 2014 market value of $2.21 billion and fall to $1.89 billion in 2019. Unfortunately the market is not declining due to a decrease for insomnia diagnoses but rather because the current drugs used to treat this disease can be counter-productive.

Presently the approved treatments for insomnia are benzodiazepines and gama-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA-A) modulators. These products are administered for two weeks and may result in drug resistance and dependence. The medications have adverse effects such as confusion, nightmares, and lethargy after two weeks, making them undesirable as maintenance therapy. Individuals with insomnia tend to prefer short-term management for the disorder. To address these issues, drugs that have fewer side effects and prolonged action must be launched in the market.

Vendors are currently focusing on developing oral mists and sublingual formulations that have improved bioavailability, require fewer doses, and have a quicker onset of action. ZolpiMist by NovaDel Pharma is an example of an oral mist formulation. Sublingual formulations include Edluar by Meda Pharmaceuticals and Intermezzo by Purdue Pharma.

The market will begin its recovery in 2017 due to the significant penetration of Belsomra by Merck, a highly advanced drug targeting the orexin receptors, which was released in 2014. Belsomra does not result in drug resistance and dependence, unlike benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines, which may increase the drug’s uptake over the next few years.