The growth of the market is attributed to the rising prevalence of asthma and the growing exposure to coarse particulate matters. However, the unmet medical needs hamper the market growth.
According to a 2018 study titled “Low-level ozone has both respiratory and systemic effects in African American adolescents with asthma despite asthma controller therapy”, low levels of outdoor ozone were linked to respiratory abnormalities and other outcomes in African American children with difficult-to-treat asthma, even when they were using asthma medications, such as inhalers, to mitigate the harmful effects of air pollutants.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cooperated with researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to investigate the effects of ozone on the health of African American children with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma in Raleigh, North Carolina. The findings show that ozone levels below the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) were linked to pulmonary and other alterations in African American children with persistent asthma.
The American Lung Association Epidemiology and Statistics Unit through the CDC’s data showcased that Puerto Ricans in the US had the highest asthma rates at 14%, followed by African Americans at 11% and Non-Latino whites at 8%. This substantiates the fact that various ethnic groups are at a higher risk of asthma, which is driving the demand for asthma drugs in North America.
Furthermore, researchers discovered that even at low ozone levels and when the individuals took asthma medication, an increase in ozone concentrations was linked to a deterioration in lung function. They also discovered that ozone exposure was linked to a rise in the number of fatty compounds in the blood, previously observed only in adults. The study showed that even at low concentrations, ozone can impact vulnerable populations, and the effect is more extensive than merely respiratory outcomes.
The higher risks and vulnerabilities found in ethnic groups, especially Puerto Ricans and African Americans, propel the demand for asthma drugs for locations with higher density of these ethnic groups.
North America Asthma Drugs Market Segmentation
The North America asthma drugs market, by medication, is segmented into quick relief medications and long-term control medications. Based on route of administration, the market is segmented into inhaled, prefilled syringe/vials, and others. Based on distribution channel, the North America asthma drugs market is segmented into online pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, and retail pharmacies. By country, the market is segmented into the US, Canada, and Mexico.
AstraZeneca; TEVA PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LTD; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH; GlaxoSmithKline plc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; Koninklijke Philips N.V.; Sanofi; Pfizer Inc. (Arena Pharmaceutical GmbH); Novartis AG; and Abbott are among the leading companies operating in the North America asthma drugs market.