MDOUTLOOK® 3rd Annual Quick Polls from ASCO 2010: Report on Clinical Integration of New Cancer Developments

ATLANTA, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- MDOUTLOOK®, the oncology intelligence initiative powered by The Arcas Group, today announced results from its 3rd Annual Quick Poll research launched following this month's annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. Within one week, 281 cancer treaters from 22 countries responded, making it the first market feedback available post-ASCO. The research yielded the following highlights for these therapeutic segments:

Maintenance Therapy in Hematologic Malignancies:

• Rituximab: Nearly all physicians already use as maintenance therapy in some patients with Follicular Lymphoma. Increase in usage after ASCO driven by physicians using rituximab  maintenance in a higher proportion of their patients.
• Lenalidomide: ~75% of physicians are already using some lenalidomide maintenance therapy for Multiple Myeloma, however in a minority of patients. Increase in usage after ASCO driven by more physicians using it in more patients.
• ~3/4 of Physicians found the new information on maintenance therapy in Follicular Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma of significant value and usefulness to their clinical practice.

Novel Immunotherapies for the Treatment of Cancers:

• Immunotherapy is used in ~15% of oncology treatment decisions, irrespective of line of treatment.
• Ipilumimab: Physician response to new data presented predicts strong market adoption in melanoma and rapid integration into practice (pending FDA approval).
• High-dose aldesleukin (HD-IL-2): Physicians positively view new information presented in renal cell carcinoma (SELECT trial).
• Sipuleucel-T: Physician response predicts moderate market adoption in prostate cancer of this recently FDA-approved product.

Current and Future Use of Oncology Biomarkers:

• Current use of biomarkers to guide diagnosis and treatment decision is heavily weighted towards breast and colorectal cancer (>80% patients).
• Biomarkers are also used in up to 50% of patients with lung cancer, prostate and ovarian cancers; far less in other cancers.
• Oncologists strongly value both FDA indications and inclusion in National Guidelines for their adoption of the biomarker in clinical practice.
• Physician usage of biomarkers is influenced by its patient selection benefits and as well as incremental diagnostic costs.

Developments in Oncology Practice Management:

• Overall survival is considered the most important clinical trial endpoint by oncologists for their clinical decision-making.
• About 1/3 of all respondents attended ASCO, with no country differences. This ratio was consistent in all 2010 MDOUTLOOK Quick Polls and as well as previous years.

Members of the MDOUTLOOK Strategy Council reflected that these results "validate the expected change in physician decision-making" and that "it will be interesting to follow-up on a regular basis to track these changes."  

Jan Heybroek, President of The Arcas Group, LLC, which powers MDOUTLOOK commented: "These Quick Polls perfectly demonstrate the ability of MDOUTLOOK to quickly and in a targeted manner capture the views of validated cancer physicians around the world, and turn this into actionable intelligence."

The 3rd Annual Quick Polls from ASCO 2010 were developed in collaboration with Arcas' media partner, Oncology Business Review. More information can be found here: http://www.oncbiz.com/blog/2010/06/market-adoption-trends-coming-out-of-asco-2010-3/.

Full copies of the 3rd Annual MDOUTLOOK Quick Polls from ASCO are available upon request.

About MDOUTLOOK®

MDOUTLOOK has been developed with a singular focus: improved understanding of complex diseases leading to better patient care. Over 45,000 medical oncology professionals have opted into a network of their peers through the MDOUTLOOK Internet-based system to share information such as preferred treatment regimens for complex diseases and de-identified patient logs, as well as the factors that play a part in their clinical decision-making.

Physician members of MDOUTLOOK benefit by having access to data on how other clinicians in practice treat difficult cases and how they are adapting to changes in the industry, everything from the introduction of new drugs or treatment modalities, to the rising costs of certain treatments. For many physicians, MDOUTLOOK also serves as a patient registry.

MDOUTLOOK is guided a Strategy Council of globally recognized experts: Chandra Belani, MD; Alexander Eggermont, MD, PhD; Keith Flaherty, MD; William Gradishar, MD; Axel Hauschild, MD; Peter Heald, MD; John Kirkwood, MD; Sagar Lonial, MD; Lauren Pinter-Brown, MD; Giorgio Scagliotti, MD, PhD; Joyce O'Shaughnessy, MD, and Nicholas Thatcher, MD.

MDOUTLOOK delivers life-sciences clients real-time ThoughtLeader and clinician-driven analysis, intelligence and insight into oncology clinical practice (www.thearcasgroup.com/mdoutlook).

About The Arcas Group

The Arcas Group is a strategic life sciences marketing organization with a singular focus: Supporting the commercial success of our clients in the continuum of life sciences marketing – from marketing intelligence to strategy development and implementation – through enhanced connectivity with ThoughtLeaders and Clinicians. MDOUTLOOK is a key offering that is highly valued by its rapidly expanding base of clients.

For more information, please visit The Arcas Group's website at www.thearcasgroup.com.  

SOURCE The Arcas Group