In Europe, Velcade-Based Regimens are the Most Commonly Prescribed Treatments for First-Line Myeloma, While MabThera Experiences Significant Use Across All NHL Therapy Lines

BURLINGTON, Mass., June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group finds that regimens based on Janssen's Velcade are the most commonly prescribed treatments for first-line multiple myeloma (MM), according to surveyed hematological oncologists from France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The exception is the United Kingdom, where Celgene's Thalidomide-containing regimens are the most frequently prescribed first line therapies for MM. Roche's MabThera continues its dominance across all non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) subpopulations and lines of therapy. With subcutaneous (SC) MabThera now EMA approved, and biosimilar rituximab expected to be launched across the EU5 in 2016, rituximab's dominance in the NHL market is likely to continue.

Other key findings from the European Physician and Payer Forum report entitled The Impact of EU5 Payer Policy on Prescribing in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma:

• Market access challenge for Celgene's Imnovid: Following its pan-European approval in August 2013, Celgene's Imnovid is yet to complete pricing and reimbursement negotiations in Italy and Spain, while in the U.K., its NICE appraisal is still ongoing.
• Innovation is key for accelerated reimbursement admission: EU5 payers highlight the importance of the innovative value of a new therapy and foresee an increasing role of therapy innovation in the health technology assessment (HTA) process. Interviewed payers in Spain and the U.K. note that current systems indicate the clinical relevance of a new therapy but do not offer a quantification of its innovative value.
• Biosimilar rituximab, branded rituximab and SC MabThera: Financial incentives for prescribers relating to drug formulation, coupled with budgetary pressures will likely push biosimilar rituximab prescribing ahead of SC MabThera. In Germany, interviewed payers emphasize that target prescribing levels may be put in place to dictate physicians' prescribing of branded vs. biosimilar rituximab.

Comments from Decision Resources Group Business Insights Analyst Dana Gheorghe, Ph.D.:

• "The treatment options for MM and NHL are expanding, with new European marketing authorizations expected to be granted in the near future. The eagerly anticipated 2014 approvals of Imbruvica (Janssen/Pharmacyclics) and Gazyvaro (Roche) are going to expand the armamentarium for NHL treatment, while four new therapies are set to launch for MM by the end of 2017—panobinostat (Novartis), ixazomib citrate (Takeda/Millennium), elotuzumab (Bristol-Myers Squibb/AbbVie) and daratumumab (Genmab/Janssen). These launches add complexity to the pricing and reimbursement negotiations across the cost-conscious EU5 countries, as all these therapies are likely to carry price premiums."
• "Across the EU5, receiving a positive HTA review is becoming increasingly difficult, and interviewed payers highlight the importance of carefully designed head-to-head clinical studies, which have appropriate clinical comparators—demonstrating overall survival benefits over a suitable comparator is important for justifying the premium price tags of emerging therapies."

Upcoming webinar:

• Media members are welcome to attend our upcoming webinar based on this report entitled Payers' Policies and Prescribers' Insights on Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma in the EU5. This presentation will be held on Thursday, July 17, 2014. For more information, please contact Christopher Comfort at [email protected].

About Decision Resources Group
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For more information, contact:

Decision Resources Group
Christopher Comfort
781-993-2597 
[email protected]

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SOURCE Decision Resources Group