Oct. 14, 2009 (Business Wire) -- IMS Health (NYSE: RX), the world’s leading provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, today announced the launch of IMS MIDAS Global Biologics™, a powerful offering that enables the company’s clients to make more confident decisions as they assess opportunities in the fast-growing, $120 billion worldwide biologics market. MIDAS Global Biologics provides an unprecedented understanding of biologics at both the molecule and product level for deeper insights into market size, performance and changing biologics usage in more than 70 countries.

“A flow of innovative products and expanding indications are driving high-value patient treatment options and fueling strong growth for biologics around the globe,” said Jim Mahon, general manager, Product and Portfolio Management, IMS. “For companies looking to expand in this market, IMS MIDAS Global Biologics can help them quickly identify biologic molecules, determine their importance in treatment, and understand the forces underlying performance – all key to ensuring effective portfolio strategies and maximizing return on investment.”

The new offering, developed in consultation with leading industry associations that include The Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence and Research Group (PBIRG), establishes the first global standard market definition for biologics. MIDAS Global Biologics enables consistent analyses of molecules by type – an important component for guiding and driving key commercial decisions in expanding therapy areas such as oncology, autoimmune disease and diabetes. Biologics are among the strongest sources of growth for the pharmaceutical industry, with more than 28 percent of the R&D pipeline now dedicated to that segment.

MIDAS Global Biologics is the latest addition to IMS’s New Models, New Metrics program, which provides market measurement services to help clients better navigate today’s dynamic healthcare environment. The offering, together with the company’s extensive analytical and consulting capabilities, uniquely positions IMS to improve clients’ forecasting, scenario modeling, competitive benchmarking and portfolio management activities.

Biologics Defined

IMS defines biologics as a class of medicines under four key principals – “Molecular Structure,” as biologic molecules are complex macromolecules, typically with some form of polymer structure; “Molecular Identification,” as biologic molecules must be clearly identified; “Active Substance,” as biologic molecules must be, or are intended to be, clearly defined active therapeutic ingredients in a product; and “Regulatory,” as biologic molecules must have undergone or undergoing a regulatory human clinical trial program under the auspices of a national or regional regulatory authority.

About IMS

Operating in more than 100 countries, IMS Health is the world’s leading provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. With $2.3 billion in 2008 revenue and more than 50 years of industry experience, IMS offers leading-edge market intelligence products and services that are integral to clients’ day-to-day operations, including product and portfolio management capabilities; commercial effectiveness innovations; managed care and consumer health offerings; and consulting and services solutions that improve productivity and the delivery of quality healthcare worldwide. Additional information is available at http://www.imshealth.com.