For the Treatment of Mutated EGFR Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer, the Majority of Surveyed European Oncologists Indicate That

In Order to Justify a High Cost for Treatment, Interviewed European Payers Assert That Drug Makers Must Define the Patient Population That Will Benefit Most from a Novel Therapy, According to a New Report from Decision Resources

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, according to the majority of surveyed oncologists in the EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), although AstraZeneca’s Iressa is currently the most commonly used first-line treatment for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer, the recent approval in this setting of Genentech/OSI Pharmaceuticals/Roche’s Tarceva will threaten Iressa’s market position. Together, these two targeted EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors will dominate first-line treatment of mutated EGFR non-small-cell lung cancer over chemotherapy, the longtime standard of care for non-small-cell lung cancer.

The new European Physician & Payer Forum report entitled Molecularly Driven Management and Maintenance Treatment of NSCLC: Physician and Payer Perspectives on the Changing Treatment Paradigms in Europe finds that most surveyed oncologists across the EU5 agree that a cost sharing scheme such as the one currently in place for Iressa in the United Kingdom makes a drug considerably more attractive to them as prescribers. Among EU5 physicians who indicate this, the highest percentages were surveyed oncologists in the United Kingdom (86 percent), Italy (79 percent) and Spain (77 percent).

The report also finds that interviewed payers in the EU5 assert that as traditionally free pricing markets such as the United Kingdom and Germany undergo radical healthcare overhauls, drug manufacturers must strive to define the patient population that has the greatest benefit from a novel treatment in order to justify to payers a higher price for their therapy as compared with their competitors.

“In the opinion of interviewed European payers, a strongly predictive biomarker, a highly predefined target population and the potential for easy to administer cost-sharing schemes are key tools for future market access,” said Decision Resources Product Manager Janie Cox, Ph.D. “Bearing this in mind, Pfizer’s crizotinib will be the drug to watch as it has a companion biomarker and a well-defined niche population. Developers of other emerging therapies need to focus on better defining their target population if they are to succeed not just in gaining regulatory approval but navigating the increasingly difficult market access landscape.”

The findings also reveal that continuation and switch maintenance treatment is likely to remain static over the next 12 months. Interviewed payers are split in their opinion of maintenance treatment, with some believing that less than robust efficacy data do not support the cost of this treatment strategy.

About Decision Resources

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.

About Decision Resources Group

Decision Resources Group is a cohesive portfolio of companies that offers best-in-class, high-value information and insights on important sectors of the healthcare industry. Clients rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions. Please visit Decision Resources Group at www.DecisionResourcesGroup.com.

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