New patient therapy starts in the cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure markets - three of the biggies - will be relatively flat in 2009 compared to previous years, with growth expected to be lower than 5 percent in each, according to SDI, a market research firm.

“The indication that many patients are going without healthcare coverage, and sometimes their medications, does not bode well for how many new patients will begin prescription therapy in 2009,” says John Ross, SDI’s chief operating officer, in a statement. New patient therapy starts, for those who are unaware, refers to patients who have never before taken a particular med.

For the cholesterol market, for instance, SDI projects growth of just 3 percent in new patient therapy starts next year. The diabetes market will grow only 2 percent, in part, due to safety concerns that prompted the FDA this week to require risk info on all new diabetes meds (see here). In general, though, SDI sees demand improving after next year (please click on the chart to see the squiggly lines more clearly).