Surveyed U.S. Neurologists Would be Willing to Accept a Novel Primary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Therapy with Safety Risk if Proven Effective on Disability Progression

BURLINGTON, Mass., April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group (DRG) finds that, for the treatment of primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PP-MS), surveyed U.S. neurologists would be willing to accept a certain level of risk for a therapy with proven efficacy on disability progression, likely owing to the absence of approved therapies for this indication. This finding is reflected by the fact that among hypothetical therapies assessed in DRG's conjoint analysis tool, neurologists were most receptive to an agent with the greatest efficacy improvement over the market's sales leading therapy, Teva's Copaxone, but which was also associated with the greatest risk of serious or life threatening side effects.

Other key findings from the DecisionBase report entitled Chronic-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: Amid Substantial Unmet Need, What Magnitude of Efficacy and Safety Do Neurologists and Payers Expect of a First-To-Market Therapy for Primary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis?:

• Unmet need: A therapy's effect on disability progression is weighted by surveyed U.S. and European neurologists as the most important efficacy attribute driving prescribing decisions for the treatment of PP-MS. However, according to available clinical data and interviewed experts' opinions, none of the profiled current or emerging therapies are differentiated from Copaxone on this attribute rendering it an area of high unmet need.
• Nerventra: Nearly all surveyed U.S. neurologists would prescribe Teva's emerging product Nerventra, with it capturing 24 percent of currently treated PP-MS patient share. Although not yet studied in PP-MS, interest in Nerventra stems from the product's putative neuroprotective effect, benign safety profile to date and once-daily oral administration.  

Comments from Decision Resources Group Analyst Emma McFadden, Ph.D.:

• "Data suggest that surveyed U.S. managed care organization pharmacy directors are highly receptive to novel PP-MS therapies offering even modest improvements over Copaxone on disability progression. However, they are sensitive to the risk profile of such agents when making formulary decisions, with few willing to reimburse a therapy with greater than one percent risk of serious adverse events. This reluctance is likely owing to the high costs which can be incurred by riskier therapies, such as by the need for patient monitoring and potential hospitalization."
• "If proven effective in their respective ongoing PP-MS clinical trials, Novartis's Gilenya and Roche/Genentech's ocrelizumab both have considerable market potential. Even prior to the availability of PP-MS clinical data, surveyed U.S. neurologists indicate that they would prescribe these therapies to 20 percent of their currently treated PP-MS patients."

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SOURCE Decision Resources Group