BioTrends Research Group, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms for specialized biopharmaceutical issues, finds that 77 percent of surveyed neurologists have experience with the STRATIFY JCV assay — commercially available since January 2012 to aid in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) risk stratification for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Biogen Idec / Elan’s Tysabri. In the recently published , over one-half of neurologists agree that the assay has encouraged their use of Tysabri earlier in treatment, with 28 percent agreeing that they are comfortable prescribing Tysabri first line to a seronegative patient. In fact, serostatus significantly impacts neurologists’ perceptions of Tysabri’s risk-benefit profile, with 58 percent of neurologists perceiving Tysabri’s benefit outweighs its risks in seronegative patients compared to 13 percent of neurologists for seropositive patients. Tysabri use among seropositive patients is mostly limited to those who have failed multiple disease-modifying agents (DMAs) or have very aggressive MS. Seropositive patients who are not willing to be treated with Tysabri are frequently considered candidates for Novartis’s Gilenya.
Over the next six months, trial and use of the assay among RRMS patients is expected to increase, especially if Biogen Idec continues to cover the cost. Neurologists anticipate their share of both Tysabri and Gilenya to increase over the same period, pulling predominantly from Teva’s Copaxone and Biogen Idec’s Avonex. Assuming the successful launch of Biogen Idec’s BG-12 and Sanofi / Genzyme’s Aubagio and Lemtrada over the next six months, neurologists foresee BG-12 as having the greatest impact on the market, regardless of serostatus, over the next year. While first-line preference is split, regardless of serostatus, between Copaxone, Avonex, and BG-12, Tysabri remains the preferred third-line DMA among seronegative patients, whereas BG-12 and Gilenya share third-line preference for seropositive patients.
provides insight into awareness, trial, and use of the recently available anti-JC virus antibody assay, the effect of serostatus on DMA perceptions and DMA prescribing behavior, both current and anticipated, with a specific focus on risk stratification for patients on or switching to Tysabri, promotional activity in support of the assay, and the potential impact of upcoming DMA launches. In order to measure the assay’s impact, BioTrends surveyed 203 U.S. neurologists and conducted qualitative interviews with a subset of 15 of the respondents in early July 2012. In general, Special Reports provides syndicated research opportunities to dig deeper into specific and targeted areas of current interest in a market.
BioTrends Research Group provides syndicated and custom 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 . BioTrends is a Decision Resources Group company.
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