Greater Efficacy on Cognition and Function Over Current Treatments Remain Neurologists' Top Unmet Need in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease

BURLINGTON, Mass., Sept. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that drugs offering a greater effect on cognition and those offering a greater effect on function compared with current treatments remain the top unmet needs in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to surveyed U.S. and European neurologists. Currently available therapies alleviate some cognitive and functional symptoms associated with AD over the short-term, but do not slow disease progression, thus underscoring the remaining unmet need for more efficacious alternatives, which could be either symptomatic or disease-modifying.

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The DecisionBase report entitled Alzheimer's Disease (Mild to Moderate): In an Increasingly Generic Market, What Attributes Can Differentiate Novel Brands in the Minds of Physicians and Payers? also finds that, based on a product profile presented, surveyed U.S. neurologists would prescribe Eli Lilly's emerging anti-beta-amyloid monoclonal antibody solanezumab to a median 15 percent of their mild to moderate AD patients. Interviewed thought leaders are encouraged by a slowing of cognitive decline observed in solanezumab-treated mild AD patients, pooled across two completed, placebo-controlled, Phase III studies, as well as the drug's safety profile, particularly with regard to a low risk of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities.

The report also includes insights from a survey of U.S. managed care organization pharmacy directors, two-thirds of whom indicate they would reimburse a new disease-modifying therapy for the treatment of mild to moderate AD that was priced at a significant premium to current brands ($25/day), if such an agent offered a 200 percent improvement on cognitive decline over donepezil (Eisai/Pfizer's Aricept, other brands, generics). Payers expecting not to cover such a therapy mostly cite insufficient benefits as the reason, suggesting that—for some payers—greater therapeutic gains would be needed to justify the value of a drug offered at such a considerable cost.

"With a new Phase III trial ongoing in mild AD, solanezumab retains the potential to become the first disease-modifying therapy approved for the treatment of this debilitating disease, a landmark achievement," said Decision Resources Senior Business Insights Analyst Alana Simorellis, Ph.D. "We expect solanezumab likely would be priced much higher than symptomatic brands today, which could present challenges to usage and market access, depending on the level of its clinical benefits. Even with limited uptake, however, we expect premium pricing and a growing patient population could easily drive blockbuster sales for solanezumab in the AD market over the next decade."

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 Group 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.

All company, brand, or product names contained in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

SOURCE Decision Resources

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