Surveyed U.S. Endocrinologists Indicate They Would Prescribe Amylin/Alkermes’ Bydureon to 20 Percent of Their Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

BURLINGTON, Mass. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that surveyed U.S. endocrinologists indicate that they would prescribe Amylin/Alkermes’ Bydureon to 20 percent of their patients with type 2 diabetes. Bydureon’s efficacy at reducing HbA1c and at eliciting weight loss, combined with its once-weekly delivery, will be key drivers of Bydureon’s uptake. However, the U.S. endocrinologists surveyed for this report are unlikely to be considering the reimbursement hurdles and highly competitive market that Bydureon will face. Considering these factors, Decision Resources’ analysis of the type 2 diabetes drug market forecasts that Bydureon will earn a 2.6 percent patient share in the U.S. type 2 diabetes market by 2020.

Surveyed U.S. endocrinologists and managed care organization pharmacy directors agree that reduction in HbA1c levels is one of the attributes that most influences their decisions regarding prescribing and formulary status determinations, respectively, in type 2 diabetes. Clinical data and the opinions of interviewed thought leaders indicate that Novo Nordisk’s Victoza and Sanofi’s Lantus have advantages over sales-leading pioglitazone (Takeda’s Actos, generics in Europe) on this attribute.

The findings also reveal that, based on clinical data and the opinions of interviewed thought leaders, Victoza has earned Decision Resources’ proprietary clinical gold-standard status for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, owing to its clinical profile, which is the strongest among key marketed products that treat the disease.

“However, we expect Bydureon will displace Victoza and will earn our proprietary clinical gold-standard status for type 2 diabetes in 2015,” said Decision Resources Analyst Christine Helliwell, Ph.D. “Bydureon has competitive advantages in efficacy, safety and tolerability and delivery.”

The type 2 diabetes drug market will experience strong growth over the next 10 years, increasing from $23.4 billion in 2010 to just over $44 billion in 2020. The market benefits from a steady increase in the drug-treated patient population and a large pipeline of products expected to launch by 2020. The incretins (DPP-IV inhibitors and GLP-1 analogues) will experience the biggest increase in market share, growing from 20 percent in 2010 to 45 percent in 2020. Merck’s Januvia dominates the DPP-IV inhibitor class and will consolidate its leading position while other DPP-IV inhibitors will struggle owing to their lack of clinical advantages over Januvia.

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