Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by core behavioral symptoms that include impaired social skills, communication deficits, and restricted, repetitive behaviors. The disorder is considered a single diagnostic category with varying degrees of severity, as updated in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Behavioral and developmental therapies are the cornerstones of ASD treatment regardless of severity, and many patients also receive drug therapy to help manage their noncore symptoms or comorbidities, such as attention deficit, hyperactivity, irritability, and aggression. According to interviewed physicians, among the most commonly prescribed drug therapies for irritability associated with ASD are risperidone (Janssen’s Risperdal, generics) and aripiprazole (Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s Abilify, generics). Interviewed thought leaders agree that finding an effective treatment to address core behavioral symptoms is the greatest unmet need in ASD.
This report provides an overview of the ASD market including a comprehensive analysis of patient populations, current therapies and medical practice, and opportunities for emerging therapies. The findings described in this report are derived from detailed interviews with expert U.S. and European specialists, comprehensive secondary research, and best-in-class epidemiological analysis. This report provides deep insights into this complex and evolving clinical space, and includes a detailed analysis of specific opportunities for current and emerging therapies, including experts’ views on which unmet needs have not yet been addressed by developers of new therapies.