Eli Lilly's Taltz Now Approved for Psoriatic Arthritis, Bringing Key Competition for Rival IL-17 Inhibitor, Novartis' Cosentyx

EXTON, Pa., Dec. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly's IL-17 inhibitor, Taltz (ixekizumab), received FDA approval for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) on December 1, 2017.  The new indication for the brand will bring increased competition to a market that has been bustling with recent change via a series of line extensions (BMS' Orencia and Janssen's Simponi Aria), as well as face further disruption pending the approval of Pfizer's Xeljanz by year end.  In Spherix's Q3 publication of RealTime Dynamix: Psoriatic Arthritis, US rheumatologists (n=102) reported increasing familiarity with the then pipeline agent.  The vast majority also noted that they have patients that will benefit from Taltz's approval.

In a large scale patient audit of 1,008 PsA patients recently switched between biologic brands conducted by Spherix, US rheumatologists identified that more than one in five of the recently switched PsA population were considered good candidates for treatment with Taltz.  Furthermore, among patients recently switched to Novartis' Cosentyx, the brand's key competitor, 31% are considered likely candidates for treatment with Taltz, implying a competitive pressure point for the existing IL-17 agent.  

Indeed, more than 90% of rheumatologists surveyed in Q3 believe that Cosentyx and Taltz are at least moderately interchangeable as PsA treatments.  However, more than one-third of respondents also indicated that they believe Cosentyx will have a significant advantage over Taltz in PsA since it was the first IL-17 inhibitor to gain approval for the indication.

The competition between Taltz and Cosentyx is not new, with the rivalry beginning nearly two years ago in psoriasis.  Similar to PsA, Cosentyx was the first IL-17 inhibitor approved for psoriasis and Novartis' brand enjoyed roughly fifteen months as the only available IL-17 inhibitor before Taltz's FDA green light.  Cosentyx's first-to-market status has given the brand a slight edge over the competition in psoriasis; however, as dermatologists' familiarity and comfort with Taltz grows, Lilly's biologic has proven to be a formidable competitor to Cosentyx. 

If dermatology is to be used as a proxy for Taltz uptake in PsA, Cosentyx and Taltz will be viewed as largely interchangeable and rheumatologists may be divided with regard to which agent they prefer.  Dermatologists who prefer Cosentyx tend to be more comfortable with the brand, as it has been on the market longer, while those preferring Taltz highlight better efficacy.  However, Taltz is often viewed as being more efficacious with regard to skin clearance; what is yet to be seen is real world experience on the brand's efficacy in joints. 

Spherix's Q4 publication of RealTime Dynamix: Psoriatic Arthritis, fielding later this week, will track the early adoption of the newest market entrant, benchmark the launch to that of Cosentyx, and allow for cross-indication comparison to use in psoriasis.  The 2018 RealTime Dynamix: Psoriatic Arthritis series will continue to track the launch of Taltz and the impact on the PsA market on a quarterly basis throughout the year.

RealTime Dynamix™: Psoriatic Arthritis and RealTime Dynamix™: Psoriasis are two independent report series published on a quarterly basis.  The studies track the evolution of the PsA and psoriasis markets, provide a deep dive on launch effectiveness, and highlight opportunities for pipeline agents.

RealWorld Dynamix™: Biologic/Otezla Switching in PsA (US) is a robust and deep patient chart analysis of 1,008 PsA patients who were recently switched from one biologic or Otezla to a different brand. RealWorld Dynamix™ captures the clinician's perspective on why the switch was made and the new brand chosen, as well as future intentions should the response be suboptimal. In addition to patient demographics and treatment history, clinical assessments, diagnostic tests and laboratory values are included to provide insight into the clinical course of the disease.

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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