According to Surveyed EU5 Oncologists, Zelboraf Captures 50 Percent Patient Share of the First-Line BRAF-Mutation Positive Malignant Melanoma Population

EXTON, Pa., Dec. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BioTrends Research Group, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for specialized biopharmaceutical issues, finds that, according to oncologists surveyed in Q3 2013, Roche/Genentech/Daiichi Sankyo/Chugai's Zelboraf, on average, garners 50 percent patient share across the EU5, in the first-line BRAF-mutation positive setting. In the BRAF-wild-type (BRAF-negative) population, treatment is still dominated by the alkylating agent, dacarbazine (generics). Surveyed oncologists also report that Bristol-Myers Squibb's Yervoy holds, on average, nearly one-third of patient share in second-line BRAF-mutation-positive setting, according to surveyed EU5 oncologists; however, penetration of Yervoy across the EU5 is variable. The vast majority of surveyed respondents cite moderate to high satisfaction with Yervoy and Zelboraf, and surveyed oncologists anticipate a significant increase in first-line prescribing of these agents in BRAF-wild-type and BRAF-mutation-positive malignant melanoma, within the next six months.

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According to the data published in the TreatmentTrends® Malignant Melanoma (EU) Q4 2013 report, surveyed EU5 medical oncologists and dermatologists, with the exception of respondents from Spain, report that low-dose Intron A (Merck) garners more patient share than high-dose Intron A as adjuvant treatment for resectable malignant melanoma. High-dose Intron A has significant perceived advantage over low-dose Intron A with respect to efficacy attributes. Conversely, low-dose Intron A has a perceived advantage on safety and tolerability and outperforms high-dose Intron A on experience/familiarity, cost to healthcare system and ease of administration. 

"Physicians surveyed in 2013 report significantly higher rates of BRAF-mutation screening in their unresectable and metastatic patients compared with survey findings from 2012; however, we still see variation in BRAF-screening rates across the EU5," said Decision Resources Group Senior Business Insights Analyst Karen Pomeranz, M.Sc., Ph.D. "Surveyed oncologists expect BRAF-screening to increase in almost all stages of disease within the next six months, whereas surveyed dermatologists expect screening rates to significantly increase in only their earlier-stage resectable patients."

TreatmentTrends^® Malignant Melanoma (EU) is a syndicated report designed to provide a view of the current and future management of malignant melanoma based on primary research fielded with 252 medical oncologists in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom) and 68 dermatologists (Germany only). The report evaluates treatment and diagnosis patterns of the disease and physician opinions on possible future therapy options. BioTrends Oncology is also covering the launch of Tafinlar and Mekinist through its LaunchTrends^® studies.

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SOURCE BioTrends Research Group