Atherosclerosis Drugs Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Atherosclerosis Drugs Market is projected to expand from USD 19.11 Billion in 2025 to USD 23.86 Billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 3.77% throughout the forecast period. These pharmaceutical agents are designed to reduce the accumulation of arterial plaque, principally by managing lipid concentrations and preventing thrombus formation to avert cardiovascular incidents. The market's growth is fundamentally underpinned by the mounting global burden of cardiovascular diseases alongside an aging population increasingly prone to arterial hardening. Highlighting this urgency, the American Heart Association reported in 2024 that cardiovascular diseases were responsible for approximately 19.91 million deaths worldwide each year, a statistic that emphasizes the critical need for sustained pharmacological interventions and therapeutic regimens aimed at plaque stabilization.

However, the market faces a substantial obstacle in the form of patent expirations for major blockbuster drugs. The subsequent introduction of affordable generic alternatives significantly diminishes the market share and revenue potential of established branded therapies. As a result, pharmaceutical developers are under mounting pressure to innovate, although the high costs of development and stringent regulatory requirements frequently prolong the timeline for bringing next-generation atherosclerosis treatments to commercial realization.

Market Drivers

The escalating global incidence of cardiovascular diseases and hyperlipidemia acts as the primary engine driving the atherosclerosis drugs market. As sedentary lifestyles and suboptimal dietary habits become increasingly common, the frequency of arterial plaque buildup and lipid irregularities has risen, resulting in a vast patient population requiring pharmacological treatment. This growing disease burden necessitates a higher volume of lipid-lowering therapies, such as statins and combination drugs, to avert critical outcomes like strokes and myocardial infarctions. According to the American Heart Association's "2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update" from January 2024, an estimated 127.9 million adults in the United States were affected by some form of cardiovascular disease between 2017 and 2020, a prevalence that compels healthcare providers to aggressively prescribe medications, ensuring steady revenue streams for manufacturers.

Concurrently, the market is being reshaped by advancements in novel therapeutics, particularly the robust development of PCSK9 inhibitors. Pharmaceutical entities are heavily investing in research and development to bring next-generation biologics and oral options to market for patients who cannot tolerate traditional statins or require further lipid reduction. For example, NewAmsterdam Pharma reported in July 2024 within their "Phase 3 BROOKLYN Clinical Trial Results" that the novel CETP inhibitor obicetrapib realized a 36.3% decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by day 84 relative to a placebo. The commercial success of such advanced treatments is reflected in financial performance; Amgen's "Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results" from October 2024 indicated that sales for the PCSK9 inhibitor Repatha rose by 40% year-over-year to reach $567 million, demonstrating how these innovations drive market value by meeting the needs of high-risk populations.

Market Challenges

The expiration of patents for key blockbuster therapies presents a formidable barrier to the financial growth of the Global Atherosclerosis Drugs Market. As exclusivity periods for major antithrombotic and lipid-regulating agents come to an end, the sector encounters a surge of generic competitors that are priced substantially lower than branded originals. This shift causes a marked decline in market valuation, as the significant revenues generated by exclusive proprietary drugs are supplanted by the low-margin, high-volume economics typical of generic formulations. Consequently, original manufacturers face rapid revenue erosion, which suppresses the sector's overall monetary expansion and limits the funds available for reinvesting into high-risk research initiatives.

The magnitude of this financial challenge is both significant and measurable. In 2024, the Association for Accessible Medicines reported that generic medications delivered $118.1 billion in savings for patients with heart disease over the previous year, a figure that effectively illustrates the massive value diverted from the branded pharmaceutical sector. This widespread uptake of cost-efficient alternatives curtails the overall revenue potential of the market, creating a landscape where the industry struggles to maintain historical growth trajectories that relied heavily on established product lines.

Market Trends

The expansion of labels for Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 agonists to include cardiovascular prevention marks a transformative trend within the atherosclerosis drugs market. Although initially approved for weight management and diabetes, these therapeutics are increasingly adopted to lower the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This transition recognizes the systemic metabolic factors that aggravate arterial plaque instability, extending treatment goals beyond simple lipid management to encompass broader metabolic and inflammatory risks. Underscoring this shift, Novo Nordisk announced in a March 2024 press release titled "Wegovy approved in the US for cardiovascular risk reduction in people with overweight or obesity" that clinical trials showed semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in overweight or obese adults with known cardiovascular disease.

In parallel, the creation of targeted therapies aimed at lowering Lipoprotein(a) is fulfilling a crucial unmet need in precision medicine. Elevated Lipoprotein(a) serves as a genetically determined risk factor that promotes atherosclerosis independently of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and generally does not respond to standard statin treatments. Pharmaceutical developers are utilizing advanced small interfering RNA technologies to suppress the genes responsible for generating this atherogenic particle, providing new prospects for patients with high residual cardiovascular risk. Validating this approach, Silence Therapeutics revealed in May 2024, within the "Silence Therapeutics Announces Positive 36-Week Data from Phase 2 Study of Zerlasiran," that the investigational drug zerlasiran attained a median Lipoprotein(a) reduction of 90% or more at week 36 for participants in the top two dosage cohorts.

Key Players Profiled in the Atherosclerosis Drugs Market

• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
• Novartis AG
• Merck & Co. Inc.
• Pfizer Inc.
• Eli Lilly and Co.
• Sanofi S.A.
• AstraZeneca PLC
• Bayer AG
• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.
• GSK PLC

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Atherosclerosis Drugs Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Atherosclerosis Drugs Market, by Diagnosis:

• Ankle-brachial Index
• Doppler Ultrasound
• Echocardiogram
• Electrocardiogram
• Blood Tests
• Others

Atherosclerosis Drugs Market, by Treatment:

• Medication
• Surgery
• Others

Atherosclerosis Drugs Market, by Route of Administration:

• Oral
• Parenteral
• Others

Atherosclerosis Drugs Market, by End User:

• Hospitals & Clinics
• Ambulatory Care Centers
• Others

Atherosclerosis Drugs Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Atherosclerosis Drugs Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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