Surveyed Dermatologists and Rheumatologists Expect to Increase Their First-Line DMARD Use of Centocor Ortho Biotech's Simponi fo

Simponi's Once-A-Month Dosing May Contribute to the Anticipated Rise of First-Line DMARD Use, According to a New Report from Decision Resources

BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that surveyed rheumatologists and dermatologists expect they will increase their use of Centocor Ortho Biotech's Simponi as a first-line disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) by the end of 2014 for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis. According to the new report entitled Treatment Algorithms in Psoriatic Arthritis, Simponi's favorable (once per month) dosing compared with other TNF-alpha inhibitors may contribute to the anticipated rise in first-line DMARD prescriptions.

Simponi launched in 2009 but has yet to get meaningful patient share in earlier lines of DMARD treatment. While 65 percent of surveyed rheumatologists and 12 percent of surveyed dermatologists prescribe Simponi, most of its use is derived from the third line.

"Simponi has favorable dosing -- once a month -- compared to the other TNF-alpha inhibitors, and this might contribute to the anticipated rise in first-line DMARD prescriptions," said Decision Resources Analyst Laila Siddique. "In contrast, more frequent dosing for Amgen/Pfizer's Enbrel and Abbott's Humira may decrease physicians' willingness to prescribe these TNF-alpha inhibitors."

About Treatment Algorithm Insight Series

Decision Resources combines in-depth primary research with the most extensive claims-based longitudinal patient-level data from IMS LifeLink's Health Plans Claims database to provide exceptional insight into physicians' prescribing trends and the factors that drive therapy product choice, from diagnosis through multiple courses of treatment, for a specific disease.

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SOURCE Decision Resources