Physician-Reported Patient Share for Regeneron's Eylea Has Now Stabilized Following Significant Increases after Its U.S. Launch for Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration

BURLINGTON, Mass., Aug. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group finds that physician-reported patient shares for Regeneron's Eylea, as well as the other major anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents Genentech/Roche's Avastin and Genentech/Roche's Lucentis, have now stabilized among wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients, following significant movement after the 2011 U.S. launch of Eylea. Although off-label compounded Avastin, with its low cost, continues to be the U.S. patient share leader and most-preferred option for wet AMD, Eylea slightly edges out Lucentis as the preferred second-line treatment approach—driven by physicians' positive perceptions of Eylea's efficacy and its convenient dosing frequency.

Other key findings from the TreatmentTrends: Dry/Wet AMD 2014 (US) report:

• Dosing schedules for anti-VEGF agents: U.S. physicians reported that at least one-quarter of wet AMD patients treated with Avastin, Eylea or Lucentis are administered these agents using a treat and extend (TAE) approach, suggesting that physicians use individualized treatment approaches for at least some of their patients. In fact, a larger percentage of physicians agreed that using a TAE protocol, rather than the approved dosing or a PRN (i.e. as needed) schedule, produces the best long-term outcomes for wet AMD.
• Emerging therapies for wet AMD: More than three-quarters of surveyed physicians selected Ophthotech's Fovista as one of two products that would bring the most value to the treatment of wet AMD, a significantly larger percentage than those who chose the other emerging wet AMD products profiled—Allergan's abicipar pegol (anti-VEGF DARPin), Lpath's iSONEP and Ohr Pharmaceutical's Squalamine. The perceived value of adjunctive Fovista is largely driven by its novel mechanism of action as an anti-platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) agent and its anticipated efficacy based upon available Phase IIb clinical data.   

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

• "Considering the paucity of approved therapies for dry AMD, it is not surprising that most surveyed physicians expressed at least moderate interest in learning more about the emerging dry AMD agents—Genentech/Roche's lampalizumab and Acucela/Otsuka's emixustat hydrochloride. However, lampalizumab was generally perceived to be the product that could offer the most value to the treatment of dry AMD, due largely to its novel mechanism of action and promising data thus far."
• "Given that anti-VEGF/anti-PDGF polypharmacy approaches are currently an area of active development, it is interesting to note that surveyed physicians show a preference for a coformulation of an anti-VEGF agent and anti-PDGF agent administered in one injection rather than an anti-PDGF agent administered adjunctively with any anti-VEGF agent in two separate injections at the same visit. Although this suggests that physicians may be reluctant to prescribe the adjunctive anti-PDGF therapy Fovista, this agent will likely launch many years before coformulations."

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SOURCE Decision Resources Group