More than a Third of Chronic Kidney Disease-Non-Dialysis Patients are Likely Candidates for FG-4592/ASP1517, According to Surveyed EU5 Nephrologists

EXTON, Pa., Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BioTrends Research Group, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for specialized biopharmaceutical issues, finds that, while familiarity with FibroGen/Astellas/AstraZeneca's FG-4592/ASP1517 is low among surveyed nephrologists in the EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), close to one-half of EU5 nephrologists report a high interest in learning more about the product after reviewing a product profile. Surveyed EU5 nephrologists also indicate that 35 percent of their chronic kidney disease-non-dialysis patients and 28 percent of their dialysis patients are likely candidates for FG-4592/ASP1517, which is a hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH) inhibitor in clinical development.

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The report entitled TreatmentTrends^®: Renal Anemia (EU5) 2013 also finds that Vifor Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) Renal Pharma's Venofer leads in reported patient share in the hemodialysis setting across the major European markets, followed by Sanofi's Ferrlecit / Ferlixit. Rockwell Medical's Triferic (soluble ferric pyrophosphate) is profiled in the report and 95 percent of surveyed nephrologists report low familiarity with this drug. 

The findings also reveal that over 90 percent of surveyed EU5 nephrologists report low familiarity with Keryx Biopharmaceuticals' Zerenex and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care's PA21.

"While Zerenex or PA21 are likely to reach the renal market before an oral HIF-PH inhibitor, if they do reach the market, HIF-PH inhibitors may be a disruptive change to the erythropoetin stimulating agent (ESA) marketplace," said BioTrends Research Group Director Rob Dubman. "In Germany, Italy and Spain, the study also found the use of ESA biosimilars is increasing as well, which is a more current market dynamic that will continue to impact branded ESAs in the near future."

TreatmentTrends^®: Renal Anemia (EU5) 2013 is a syndicated report series, based on primary market research that provides a comprehensive view of the current and expected future management of renal anemia (ESAs, oral iron and IV iron) in patients with chronic kidney disease (stage 3, stage 4, peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis). Topics include the percent of patients on each therapy, patient share, therapy initiation levels, perception of laboratory values, attribute importance and product performance ratings, sales representative metrics, transplant eligibility and reaction (familiarity, interest, and percentage of patients likely to be candidates) to new products in development. The 2013 wave published in October 2013 and is based on a study with 204 EU5 nephrologists.

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SOURCE BioTrends Research Group