Some Physicians Are Warehousing/Preparing Hepatitis C Patients for the Next Generation of Treatments

The Majority of Physicians that Treat Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Have Begun "Warehousing" and Preparing Their HCV Patients for the Next Generation of HCV Treatments

Sixty Percent of Surveyed Physicians Agree That They Are Beginning To Warehouse HCV Patients Until New Interferon-Free Regimens Are Available, According to a Recently Published BioTrends Report

EXTON, Pa., May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BioTrends Research Group, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for specialized biopharmaceutical issues, finds that, unaided, one in five surveyed gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and infectious disease specialists reported that in the past six months, they have begun warehousing patients (e.g., intentionally delaying treatment) in anticipation of the next generation of HCV treatments—notably more physicians than six months ago, when only 6 percent reported that they had begun warehousing patients.

Furthermore, only one in five physicians agrees that they are satisfied with currently available treatment options, underscoring the high unmet need for alternatives to treat chronic HCV infections. The trending analyses of physician-reported anticipated prescribing in TreatmentTrends®: Hepatitis C Virus (US), Wave 1 also finds that, for the first time in a year, surveyed physicians are expecting to treat a greater proportion of their genotype 1 (3 percent) and 2/3 (3 percent) patients in the next six months with regimens that are not currently available. Unaided responses from most physicians who expect to be using other treatments suggest they are expecting products in development, potentially interferon-free regimens, to be available for use in the next six months.

In aided physician responses, Gilead's sofosbuvir and Janssen/Medivir's simeprevir garnered the highest degree of familiarity for use in HCV treatment, followed closely by Bristol-Myers Squibb's daclatasvir and asunaprevir. Additionally, 20 percent of the surveyed physicians believe that Gilead's sofosbuvir is the most promising product in development, primarily due to its favorable tolerability, oral dosing, pan-genotypic activity, and its possibility to be utilized as an interferon-free regimen.

"The protease inhibitors, Vertex's Incivek and Merck's Victrelis, were very important advances in the management of HCV infections," said BioTrends Research Group Associate Director, Lynn Price . "However, there is still a clear unmet need for alternative HCV therapies and the recent NDA filings for simeprevir and sofosbuvir have physicians hopeful for new treatment options that are highly efficacious and more tolerable than the currently available protease inhibitors."

TreatmentTrends®: Hepatitis C Virus (US), Wave 1 is a report that covers the use of agents for the treatment of HCV infections. This bi-annual study focuses on current and future use of leading HCV treatment regimens, patient market share, perceived strengths and weaknesses of the key brands, barriers to broader usage, sales force performance, and perceived value of manufacturers' patient assistance programs. In addition, this report assesses potential impact of regimens in development, including Abbott's ABT-267, ABT-333, and ABT-450, Boehringer Ingelheim's BI-207127 and faldaprevir, Bristol-Myers Squibb's asunaprevir and daclatasvir, Janssen's simeprevir, and Gilead's sofosbuvir and ledipasvir. In the current wave of research, BioTrends surveyed 101 U.S. gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and infectious disease specialists in March 2013.

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 www.bio-trends.com. BioTrends is a Decision Resources Group company.

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SOURCE BioTrends Research Group

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