Interviewed European Payers Say Emerging Drugs with Novel Mechanisms of Action May Struggle to Be Used as First-Line Biologics in Some EU5 countries, According to a New Report from Decision Resources

December 21, 2011—Burlington, Mass.—Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that there is substantial unmet need for agents with novel mechanisms of action other than TNF-alpha inhibition for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis. Surveyed European rheumatologists estimate that approximately one quarter of their TNF-alpha inhibitor-treated patients with these conditions demonstrate an inadequate response to TNF-alpha inhibitor therapy. Consequently, efficacious new biologics with different mechanisms of action could garner notable patient share, particularly in the subset of nonresponders.

Among the emerging agents for ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis which offer novel mechanisms of action, later-stage therapies include Celgene’s oral PDE-4 inhibitor apremilast, Janssen-Cilag’s IL-12- and IL-23-inhibiting monoclonal antibody Stelara and Novartis’s IL-17 inhibitor secukinumab.

The new European Physician & Payer Forum report entitled How Will New Entrants Alter the Biologics Landscape in Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis? A European Physician and Payer Perspective finds that the vast majority of surveyed European rheumatologists would prescribe Stelara by year-end 2013 to TNF-alpha refractory psoriatic arthritis patients.

“Furthermore, while those surveyed also highlight such patients as likely candidates for apremilast in the first year following its approval, roughly one third anticipate prescribing this agent to biologic-naïve psoriatic arthritis patients who are inadequate responders to conventional DMARDs,” said Decision Resources Analyst Edward Wydysh, Ph.D.

However, the report also finds that interviewed EU5 payers indicate that drugs with new mechanisms of action may struggle to be used as first-line biologics for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis in some EU5 countries. In France and Germany, labeling granted the drug by the European Medicines Agency is likely to wield a large influence over the patient population allowed to receive the drug. However, payers in Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom expect that decisions made at a hospital or regional level as well as at a national level in the United Kingdom will guide their uptake of a drug. In these three countries, recommendations about which lines of treatment premium-priced immune therapies can be prescribed in are increasingly being driven by cost-benefit analyses.

About Decision Resources
Decision Resources (www.decisionresources.com) is a world leader in market research publications, advisory services and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources and master their chosen markets. Decision Resources is a Decision Resources Group company.
 

About Decision Resources Group
Decision Resources Group is a cohesive portfolio of companies that offers best-in-class, high-value information and insights on important sectors of the healthcare industry. Clients rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions. Please visit Decision Resources Group at www.DecisionResourcesGroup.com.

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