New ulcerative colitis biologic could earn
significant patient share in Europe and US
21 January 2010
Decision Resources, a research and advisory firm for
pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, has found that a biological
therapy with a mechanism of action other than tumour necrosis factor
alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibition for the treatment of moderate to severe
ulcerative colitis, would earn a 25% patient share according to surveyed
US gastroenterologists.
Similarly, in Europe, such an agent is forecast to earn a 25% patient
share according to surveyed European gastroenterologists. These findings
highlight the significant opportunity for a biological therapy with a
novel mechanism of action to serve as an alternative to Centocor Ortho
Biotech/Merck/Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma's Remicade (infliximab) for the
treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.
The new report entitled Ulcerative Colitis: Gastroenterologists
Identify Emerging Drugs That Will Challenge the Benchmark Therapy
Infliximab for Moderate to Severe UC, finds that two emerging
TNF-alpha inhibitors — Abbott/Eisai's Humira and Centocor Ortho
Biotech/Merck/Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma/Janssen's Simponi — will earn
Decision Resources' proprietary clinical gold standard status for
ulcerative colitis in 2013 following their approval for the indication.
Both Humira and Simponi have competitive advantages over the
sales-leader Remicade in efficacy, delivery and safety and tolerability.
"Although clinical trial data are limited, interviewed experts
believe that both Humira and Simponi's fully human composition will
translate into incremental advantages in efficacy for maintenance of
remission and maintenance of response compared to Remicade, which is a
chimeric monoclonal antibody," said Decision Resources Analyst Kathryn
Benton.