Branded Direct-to-Consumer Advertising Likely to Provide a Bump in Patient Requests for Sanofi/Regeneron's Dupixent, but Insurance Coverage and Out-of-Pocket Costs Continue to be Key Barriers for the Only Approved Atopic Dermatitis Biologic

EXTON, Pa., Aug. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi/Regeneron's Dupixent continues to exceed expectations and current users remain extremely satisfied with the first biologic approved to treat moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, according to 100 U.S. dermatologists surveyed in July 2018. With nearly eighteen months on the market, the majority of Dupixent users report prescribing the agent to more than five atopic dermatitis patients, a figure that has been growing consistently since launch. However, as the brand continues to grow, some of Dupixent's shortcomings are beginning to manifest.

Lack of insurance coverage continues to be the most commonly cited barrier to use, while out-of-pocket costs have become a growing concern amongst dermatologists. Those with ample experience with the brand (i.e., have prescribed to more than ten patients) report that out-of-pocket costs are significantly more of a barrier than those considered "low" users or those yet to prescribe Dupixent. Furthermore, while persistency rates are still very favorable for Dupixent, more than half of patients who have discontinued the agent did so due to insurance reasons or out-of-pocket costs, while an additional 20% were discontinued due to lack of efficacy.

Despite these drawbacks, Dupixent's launch has been successful and its first-to-market status has aided swift uptake, even without (up to this point) a televised brand-specific direct-to-consumer campaign. With only one-third of collaborating dermatologists receiving patient requests as of July, the recent launch of Dupixent's new branded commercial promoting patients to "Help Heal Your Skin from Within" is expected to generate an increase in patient inquiries. Indeed, nearly half of dermatologists agree that a branded commercial for Dupixent will have more influence than the unbranded commercial, "Eczema Exposed," and that, they suspect once branded advertising launches, a lot of patients will come in with specific requests for Dupixent treatment. Of note, however, when patient requests did occur prior to branded advertising, one-quarter attempted to prescribe Dupixent, but could not due to insurance issues.

In addition to access and cost drawbacks, some dermatologists note that not all patients have a positive response to treatment, as one respondent stated, "When Dupixent works, it really works, but there are some patients who see no improvement."   With that, dermatologists continue to report a high unmet need for new pharmacologic treatments for atopic dermatitis and would appear to welcome some biologic competition to the market with open arms.  With less than one-fifth of severe adult patients treated with biologics and nearly 60% considered candidates for biologic therapy, there is ample opportunity for new entrants to capture their corner on the market. Dermatologists report favorable access, affordability, improved efficacy, and a more convenient dosing schedule as the top attributes that would set a new agent apart from the first biologic.

In regard to the busy pipeline, dermatologists believe JAK inhibitors and IL-13 inhibitors have the greatest potential for treating moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Agents such as LEO's tralokinumab, Pfizer's PF-04965842, Eli Lilly's baricitinib, Incyte's topical ruxolitinib, Galderma's nemolizumab, and AbbVie's upadacitinib, are top contenders as each of these agents were selected by upwards of 10% of respondents as their top choice to gain approval.

Candidacy for pipeline agents, patient types, and current Dupixent patient profiles are further explored in Spherix Global Insights' large-scale patient audit (n=1,002), RealWorld Dynamix™: Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis (US), publishing later in the month.

About RealTime Dynamix™: Atopic Dermatitis
The RealTime Dynamix™: Atopic Dermatitis (US) report series provides a detailed and timely look at current and future trends in the atopic dermatitis market, and the effects of the future shifting landscape. The quarterly releases allow for close monitoring and trending of key performance metrics. In addition to the fixed trended measures, the report also includes variable content addressing key current issues updated quarterly. The rapid field-to-insight turnaround time, highly relevant content, and unparalleled knowledge of the dermatology market make this an essential tool for companies competing in the space, as well as those with near-term plans to enter it.

About RealWorld Dynamix™: Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis
RealWorld Dynamix™: Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis (US) is a large-scale patient audit of recently seen moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis patients. To qualify, patients must be adults, seen within the past three months, currently pharmacologically treated (specifically for their atopic dermatitis), and classified as having moderate to severe disease. The audit will includes 1,002 patient records which include clinical and non-clinical demographics, robust patient histories, current and past treatment regimens, referral patterns, co-morbidities, quality of life metrics, office visits and touchpoints, candidacy for biologic therapy, physician feedback about therapy satisfaction (specifically if currently treated with Dupixent or Eucrisa), and candidacy for pipeline agents.

About Spherix Global Insights
Spherix Global Insights is an independent business intelligence and market research company, specializing in renal, autoimmune, neurologic and rare disease markets. Our aim is to apply our commercial experience and unique relationships within core specialty markets to translate data into insight, enabling our clients to make smarter business decisions.

All company, brand or product names in this document are trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information contact:
Lynn Price, Immunology Franchise Head
Email: [email protected]
www.spherixglobalinsights.com

SOURCE Spherix Global Insights

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