Although Seroquel’s (AstraZeneca) Extended-Release Version is the Therapy Approved for the Adjunctive Treatment of MDD, A Smaller Percentage of Newly Diagnosed MDD Patients are Treated With This Formulation Than With Immediate-Release Seroquel, According to New Analysis from Decision Resources’ Enhanced Treatment Algorithms Service
BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka’s Abilify had the highest patient share among patients treated for major depressive disorder (MDD) in the fourth quarter of 2010 out of the atypical antipsychotics, although the total Seroquel franchise edged out Abilify in newly diagnosed MDD patients in first, second and third lines. Atypical antipsychotics are being increasingly prescribed in the United States as a result of the formal approval of Abilify and AstraZeneca’s Seroquel XR for the adjunctive treatment of MDD. Additionally, Eli Lilly’s Symbyax is approved for acute treatment of treatment resistant depression.
According to Treatment Algorithms in Major Depressive Disorder, the use of atypical antipsychotics increases from first- to second- to third-line therapy as they are used to treat patients who are increasingly more difficult to treat. Immediate-release Seroquel and Abilify capture approximately equal portions of newly diagnosed treated MDD patients prescribed an atypical antipsychotic in the first-line treatment, but Abilify captures the largest portion of treated newly diagnosed MDD patients in second- and third-line therapy. The analysis also finds that a smaller percentage of newly diagnosed MDD patients are treated with Seroquel XR than with immediate-release Seroquel in the first three lines of therapy, although the extended-release version is the formulation approved for the adjunctive treatment of MDD.
“Although immediate-release Seroquel is not formally approved for the adjunctive treatment of MDD, we suspect its higher uptake may be the result of Seroquel XR having a higher price or less-favorable reimbursement than the immediate release formulation,” said Decision Resources Analyst Natalie Taylor, Ph.D. “Nevertheless, Seroquel XR did see patient share increase by 44 percent over the course of 2010 as interviewed psychiatrists consider it to be effective at alleviating symptoms of anxiety and insomnia in patients not fully responding to SSRI or SNRI treatment. However, side effects such as weight gain may prevent the drug from reaching the patient share levels attained by Abilify.”
Decision Resources’ Enhances Its Treatment Algorithms Series
Through examination of patient-level claims data, Decision Resources’ Treatment Algorithms series provides exceptional insight into physicians’ prescribing trends and the factors that drive therapy choice, from diagnosis through multiple courses of treatment, for a specific disease. The service has been enhanced with a new online platform that enables users to easily toggle between diseases and time cohorts while providing a more graphical view of data, ultimately allowing for more in-depth analysis on each line of therapy. Treatment Algorithms analysis will be updated quarterly to provide ongoing trending of product utilization by line of therapy and new therapy initiations.
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Decision Resources (www.decisionresources.com) is a world leader in market research publications, advisory services and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources and master their chosen markets. Decision Resources is a Decision Resources, Inc. company.
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