Impact of COVID-19 on Prostatitis in Healthcare Industry

The worldwide disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in various changes in world’s economic as well as in the supply, demand and price for various products and services. Prostatitis market was also impacted by the widespread of the disease and demand for various products and treatment increases in the pandemic with rise in general prevalence rate of prostatitis by 14.2% which increases with age.
The sales of few companies experienced some downfall while others managed to stay ahead. Some of the major manufacturing companies for prostatitis are Novartis AG, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline plc and others.
Prostatitis marked gain in awareness among population as in the recent studies, it was detected that SARS-CoV-2 was found in semen samples and believe that the coronavirus could potentially be transmitted via semen through the enzyme ACE 2 which is expressed in the prostate which have expanded the research for this syndrome.

PRICE IMPACT
Due to the pandemic, the companies have started considering mass-layoffs of workers which decrease the production and increase the price of products with the rising demand for the prostatitis treatment.
With the ban across the countries, demand being increased, shortage in the supply and other various types of limitations faced by the manufacturers to fulfill the end product order, the cost of available products increases.
If this outbreak remains for a long period of time then it is estimated that there will be shortage of supply across the countries and the price will continue to increase.
For instance,
• According to industry sources, there is an increase of price rate from 24% to 38% of some antibiotics as ciprofloxacin which treat prostatitis infection. Due to supply shortage combined with rising demand has led to steep rise in prices of so many antibiotics and other drugs.

IMPACT OF DEMAND
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global health threat. The countries have taken initiative action by lockdown and social distancing restriction which has brought huge changes in the priorities of healthcare.
The major reason behind this is to avoid the patient and visitor hindrance in healthcare departments to minimize the transmission between patients and healthcare workers and also to preserve essential resources, especially hospital beds, critical care and other supplies.
Due to the increased spread of the pandemic over time, in-person visits in the outpatient setting have decreased or even been canceled. The latest EAU guidelines recommend the implementation of telemedicine during this time, majority of minor surgeries are being postponed and preferring virtual vising through video calling or telehealth video visiting for the instruction from the doctors.
It is a great opportunity for many companies such as AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck & Co., Sanofi, Pfizer Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Novartis AG and Johnson & Johnson Private Limited and others to increase their sales from the increasing demand for prostatitis
For instance,
• There is an increase in the sales of Avodart drug by manufacturing company GlaxoSmithKline plc from 150 euros in 2019 to 370 euros (in million) in 2020. This indicates the rise in the demand for the drugs treating the prostatitis.
The sale of drug levofloxacin by company Santen Pharmaceutical which is an antibiotic treatment for the prostatitis patients is increased by 6.3% in 2020 with the sudden rise in the demand for the drugs and shortage of the supply across countries.

IMPACT ON SUPPLY CHAIN
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the disruption of many organizations’ businesses but supply have been affected more due to so many reasons including restriction and ban across the countries, lockdown which forced down the companies to shut down the production temporarily.
Workers being on hold by the government and stuck in their homes slows downs the manufacturing of many drugs. This gives great opportunity for the local suppliers and small manufacturing units to provide the medication. This will encourage the small companies to earn profit and start manufacturing.
To minimize this affect, the organizations starting to monitor the supply chain due to the increased shortage and rise in the demand.
As COVID-19 spread has begun from China and this have a drastic effect on antibiotics which treat 80% of the prostatitis patients and China being the world leading supplier in that area has led the shortage of the supply. Moreover, with the virus scattering to the other countries, the production and export-import of drugs from other major countries as the U.S. and India are also affected.
For instance,
• The drug denosumab (Amgen Inc.) has been increased to 3% for the fourth quarter driven by volume growth. But the full year decline of 2% was driven with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic including a decrease in patient visits to the hospitals. Due to the lockdown and ban across the border, there is decrease in the sales and supply of the drugs but during the second phase and fourth quarter, there is rise in the demand for drugs.
• It was reported that angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which is a functional receptor that allow the entry of SARS-CoV-1 and 2 and this receptor is expressed in the prostate. Thus, virus binding to these ACE2 positive cells can potentially not only cause tissue alterations but also serve as a source of the virus secreted and actively pass to ejaculate which rises the concern of patients as well doctors towards the prostatitis cases and providing them with the utmost care.

STRATEGIC DECISIONS
Large pool of population is affected with the virus and expanding worldwide. To deal with this and minimize the effect, government as well as many companies has taken strategic decisions.
To tackle the pandemic and increase the revenue and growth, the companies are now opting new strategies as telecommunication, digital and virtual webinars and others. Moreover, to normalize the demand, the manufacturing companies initiated different programs and agreements.
Major companies as well as small companies are gaining profit with the increase in the demands for drugs.
For instance,
• Most of the cases which are not serious are being at hold and telemedicine are provided to the patients where they can consult the doctors about their treatment and medication which is a great strategy to avoid the impact of COVID-19 on outpatients.
There is increase in demand for prostatitis drugs and treatment for clinical trials and production by many pharmaceutical companies as there is no specify treatment for it. The leading companies take strategic decisions of increasing the sale and market share in global market.
Chronic Prostatitis Collaborative Research Network Clinical Trial on Ciprofloxacin and Tamsulosin (CPCRN RCT1) is with National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The treatment for the prostatitis is unknown but with the rise in cases and awareness among people, scientists clinical trial being done on the two antibiotics to treat prostatitis in some extent.

CONCLUSION
As the result of COVID-19 pandemic is declared by World Health Organization (WHO) in March which leads to ban across the borders. There is great economical unbalance throughout the world. Many industries and segments have to face economic crisis. But many companies of pharmaceutical sector still continue the manufacturing. The demands for antibiotics which treat prostatitis have been increased in this process. To accomplish the demand, countries have start focusing on local manufacturers for the supply. They help in fulfilling the demand of pharmaceutical company for the antibiotic therapy which indirectly fulfilling the demand of people. With the increase in the demand and the price of these antibiotics also increased. COVID-19 may have decrease the supply of the drugs in the early phase of 2020 (during COVID-19) but there is enormous increase for the demand and supply for these which is great opportunity for leading companies. This is also beneficial for the leading players and thus many companies in this sector gain extra profit in the pandemic of COVID-19.