Eighty-Three Percent of Surveyed Neurologists are Familiar with Emerging MS Agents Merck Serono/EMD Serono's Oral Cladribine and Novartis/Mitsubishi Tanabe's FTY-720/fingolimod (Gilenia)

WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that 83 percent of surveyed physicians are familiar with Merck Serono/EMD Serono's oral cladribine and Novartis/Mitsubishi Tanabe's FTY-720/fingolimod/Gilenia (when all three names are surveyed) among the surveyed oral emerging therapies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Updated data from a survey fielded in July 2010 that is now available in Brand Perception Series: Physician Segmentation in Multiple Sclerosis, also finds that the majority of surveyed physicians who are familiar with an emerging agent are familiar with the agent by more than just name. According to the report, surveyed physicians are most likely to be familiar with an agent from discussions with colleagues, conference presentations or journal articles.

"A small percentage (five percent) of surveyed physicians who are familiar with oral cladribine say the agent's approval for MS in Russia in July 2010 is a source of their familiarity with the agent, confirming that much of the familiarity around an emerging agent is attributed to journal articles, conference presentations and colleague interaction," said Decision Resources Analyst Cindy Fung, Ph.D.

About Brand Perception Series: Physician Segmentation

Brand Perception Series: Physician Segmentation identifies key physician segments to uncover targeted opportunities for current and emerging drug brands. This series offers a fresh look at a competitive drug market by analyzing physician perception of current and emerging drugs using unique physician profiles that will help biopharmaceutical companies understand and size market opportunities.

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, Inc. company.

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SOURCE Decision Resources