Difelikefalin Drug Market: Current Analysis and Forecast (2023-2030)

Difelikefalin (CR845) is a selective agonist that targets kappa opioid receptors primarily in peripheral tissues. It's being researched for its potential to manage different types of pain, including conditions like chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (itch) and postoperative pain. One of its advantages lies in its reduced ability to cross the blood-brain barrier compared to traditional opioids, which may result in fewer central nervous system side effects like euphoria or respiratory depression. Clinical trials have been promising, but regulatory approval and wider availability may still be pending. The difelikefalin drug market is growing at a tremendous rate owing to the rising cases of chronic kidney disease pruritus. For instance, according to the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is reported to affect up to 70% of patients with end-stage kidney disease, with 37% experiencing moderate-to-severe itching. Other factors such as the growing awareness programs by the government, growing renal disorders, and surge in expenditure in the healthcare sector are driving factors for the market.

The Difelikefalin Drug Market is expected to grow at a strong CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period owing to the rising government initiatives globally. For instance, the Government of India provides financial assistance to poor patients belonging to families living below the poverty line, suffering from major life-threatening diseases including kidney diseases under the Umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi and Health Minister's Discretionary Grant (HMDG). Several other factors such as an increased number of product launches, increased usage of medications for renal diseases, awareness programs regarding these diseases, and company collaborations are also leading to the surge in the market.

Based on distribution channel, the market is bifurcated into online and offline. The offline category held the highest share of the market in 2022. This can be attributed to the increasing popularity of chronic kidney disease pruritus drugs and medications, as well as the easy availability of those medications in the supermarket. The market for the offline segment is highly competitive and is projected to remain so in the foreseeable future. Thus, the offline segment held dominance in the market in the year 2022.

For a better understanding of the market adoption of the difelikefalin drug industry, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in countries such as North America (U.S., Canada, and Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Rest of World. APAC is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growing number of pharmaceutical companies in Asia-Pacific contributes to the growth of the market in this region. Also, rising cases of chronic kidney disease pruritus and a surge in several people engaged in finding the treatment, which is leading to an increase in investment in finding a potential cure for chronic kidney disease pruritus. For example, according to the National Institute of Health in June 2021, skin pruritus in patients with chronic renal failure in China is as high as 70%-90% especially in patients entering the hemodialysis period is higher. Hence, given the large population size of APAC, it is expected to grow with a high CAGR during the forecast period.

Some of the major players operating in the market are: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.; AstraZeneca; IDEXX; Biogen; Amgen Inc.; VENOSTENT, INC.; Entia; BenevolentAI; and Vifor Pharma Management Ltd.