Surveyed Oncologists Indicate Delayed Disease Progression is Among One of the Greatest Unmet Needs in First-Line Chemotherapy-Naive Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer

BURLINGTON, Mass., May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group finds that, in addition to an improvement in median overall survival (MOS), delayed disease progression is one of the greatest unmet needs in the first-line treatment of chemotherapy-naive metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). In this patient population, MOS and disease progression are also key factors that shape surveyed U.S. and European oncologists' treatment decisions. Interviewed experts consider Bayer HealthCare/Algeta's Xofigo (radium-223), a bone-seeking alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical, to be a valuable addition to the mCRPC armamentarium and are impressed by its effect on pain relief and improving quality of life. Based on early-phase clinical data and the opinions of thought leaders interviews, late-phase emerging therapies profiled in this report are not expected to offer a significant benefit in efficacy, safety and tolerability over currently available hormonal therapies – Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Biotech/Janssen-Cilag's Zytiga (abiraterone) and Medivation/Astellas Pharma's Xtandi (enzalutamide). However, interviewed thought leaders expect that rilimogene galvacirepvec (prostvac-VF-TRICOM), an off-the-shelf therapeutic vaccine, will offer comparable efficacy, safety and tolerability over the 2013-sales-leading agent in this patient population, Dendreon's Provenge (sipuleucel-T).

Other key findings from the DecisionBase 2014 report entitled First-Line (Chemotherapy-Naive) Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer: As Abiraterone and Enzalutamide Gain Traction in the Market, What Key Attributes Do Oncologists and Payers Say Will Differentiate Emerging Therapies?:

• Xtandi's clinical profile: Xtandi has the strongest clinical profile among the current and emerging therapies for treatment of first-line (chemotherapy-naive) mCRPC.
• Xofigo's effect on symptom control: Xofigo has the most impressive effect on symptom control and quality of life due to its effect on pain relief in mCRPC patients with bone metastases.
• Surveyed payers' insights on new therapies: Only 10 percent of surveyed payers indicated that they would not reimburse a new therapy that offers a three-month improvement in MOS over Zytiga, and 20 percent would not reimburse a new therapy that offers a three-month improvement in radiographic progression-free survival over Zytiga.

Comments from Decision Resources Group Business Insights Analyst Sehrish Rafique, Ph.D.:

• "Although Xtandi is known by interviewed physicians to be associated with risk of seizure, incidence is extremely low and this is unlikely to deter use of this agent. Furthermore, based on interviewed thought leader opinion and the clinical data, we do not expect any of the current or emerging therapies for first-line (chemotherapy-naive) mCRPC to perform better than Xtandi in terms of efficacy."
  
• "Interviewed experts are really impressed with Xofigo. Given that a high proportion of prostate cancer patients suffer from painful bone metastases, Xofigo's bone-targeted nature and pain palliation benefits significantly improves quality of life in patients with symptomatic mCRPC."

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SOURCE Decision Resources Group