Many Physicians who Treat HCV Have Begun 'Warehousing' and Preparing HCV Patients for the Next Generation of Interferon-Free Treatments to Become Available, According to a Recent BioTrends Report

Many Physicians who Treat HCV Have Begun 'Warehousing' and Preparing HCV Patients for the Next Generation of Interferon-Free Treatments to Become Available, According to a Recent BioTrends Report

EXTON, Pa. --(Business Wire)--
BioTrends Research Group, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for specialized biopharmaceutical issues, finds that, although Vertex's (News - Alert) Incivek (telaprevir) and Merck's Victrelis (boceprevir) have been much needed advances for the treatment of genotype 1 hepatitis C (HCV) patients, there is still an unmet need for treating these patients. Nearly all of the surveyed physicians agree that the protease inhibitors are important advances for the treatment of HCV and will continue to be an important option for prior failures and partial responders; however, 84 percent of physicians also agree that there is still a need for alternative therapies to treat HCV. Furthermore, gastroenterologists, hepatologists and infectious disease (ID) specialists rank the unmet need for new therapy options to treat HCV as greater than for any other typical gastroenterologist-, hepatologist- or ID-treated condition, based on the recently published TreatmentTrends^®: Hepatitis C (US) report.

Despite slightly higher rates of discontinuation, due primarily to patient intolerability, physicians are currently using Incivek in a greater proportion of their genotype 1 HCV patients than they are using Victrelis. Moreover, surveyed physicians rate Incivek as significantly outperforming Victrelis on the top four most important efficacy attributes; Incivek also rates significantly higher than Victrelis on overall physician satisfaction and overall performance.

The TreatmentTrends^®: Hepatitis C (US) report also reveals that surveyed gastroenterologists, hepatologists or ID specialists do not anticipate using any products that are not currently available in the treatment of HCV in the next six months for their genotype 1 patients, indicating that they do not think agents in development will be available, or, if available they will not use them within the next six months. Nevertheless, approximately half of surveyed physicians report that they are beginning to 'warehouse' (intentionally delay treatment) certain HCV patients until new interferon-free regimens become available. In addition, nearly half of these physicians also report that many of their HCV patients are denying treatment in anticipation of emerging interferon-free regimens in development.

With regard to products in development, Bristol Myers Squibb's daclatasvir (BMS-790052) and Gilead's sofosbuvir (GS-7977) garnered the highest degree of familiarity and interest for use in HCV, according to report respondents. When rating which agents in late stage development will bring the most value to their practice, surveyed physicians select sofosbuvir (GS-7977) as most valuable, followed by daclatasvir (BMS-790052), Tibotec / Medivir's simeprevir (TMC (News - Alert)-435), and Boehringer Ingelheim's faldaprevir (BI201335).

TreatmentTrends^®: Hepatitis C (US) is a biannual syndicated primary market research report series that provides a comprehensive view of the current and expected future management of HCV, with a focus on protease inhibitor treatment. The survey was fielded in late September / early October, prior to the AASLD's 2012 Annual Liver Meeting. The study included 51 gastroenterologists, 25 hepatologists, and 24 infectious disease specialists. TreatmentTrends^®: Hepatitis C (US) covers treatment approaches, including the use of triple therapy for the treatment of HCV, as well as attitudes and perceptions toward the treatment brands, advantages and disadvantages of these agents, ideal patient types, barriers to growth, and expected future use. In addition, respondents were queried about their awareness of and interest in late stage products in development for the treatment of HCV.
Specific analysis and trending of the Incivek and Victrelis launches over the past year can be found in LaunchTrends: Incivek and Victrelis, Wave 4, published in June 2012. Patient level audit analysis of hepatitis C patients is covered in ChartTrends®: Hepatitis C in the U.S., published July 2012. And finally the patient perspective and role of the patient in treatment selection is analyzed in PatientTrends®: Hepatitis C, publishing in December 2012.

About BioTrends Research Group
BioTrends Research Group provides syndicated and custom primary market research to pharmaceutical manufacturers competing in clinically evolving, specialty pharmaceutical markets. For information on BioTrends publications and research capabilities, please contact us at (610) 321-9400 or www.bio-trends.com. BioTrends is a Decision Resources Group company.

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