Over the Next Three Years, Abilify and Seroquel XR Will Be the Fastest-Growing Drugs by Prescriptions for the Treatment of Major Depression

BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that over the next three years, Bristol Myers-Squibb/Otsuka's Abilify, and AstraZeneca's Seroquel XR will be the fastest-growing drugs in terms of prescriptions for the treatment of major depression. According to Treatment Algorithms in Major Depressive Disorder, the largest gains in market share for major depressive disorder (MDD) will be made by drugs approved as adjunctive MDD therapies. At the present time, only Abilify and Seroquel XR are approved for MDD as adjunctive treatments to antidepressants in the United States. However, AstraZeneca/Targacept's TC-5214 is also expected to seek approval for this indication in 2013, and will likely lack the problematic side effects of the atypical antipsychotics and therefore have a clinical and commercial advantage over these agents.

Between 31 and 49 percent of surveyed psychiatrists anticipate that their prescribing of Abilify, Seroquel XR, Eli Lilly's Cymbalta and Pfizer's Pristiq will increase in the next three years. Similarly, 32 percent to 52 percent of primary care physicians also expect that their prescriptions of these drugs will increase.

"Total patient share across all lines of therapy will continue to increase above current levels because of increasing comfort in the practice of polypharmacy in the treatment of MDD," said Decision Resources Analyst Natalie Taylor, Ph.D. "Moreover, our survey results reveal that few psychiatrists or primary care physicians expect their use of MDD therapies to decrease over the next three years, so the increased use of adjunctive therapies like Abilify and Seroquel XR will not likely affect prescriptions of Cymbalta and Pristiq or generic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)."

About Treatment Algorithm Insight Series

Decision Resources combines in-depth primary research with the most extensive claims-based longitudinal patient-level data from IMS LifeLink's Health Plans Claims database to provide exceptional insight into physicians' prescribing trends and the factors that drive therapy product choice, from diagnosis through multiple courses of treatment, for a specific disease.

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, Inc.

Decision Resources, Inc. 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, Inc. at www.DecisionResourcesInc.com.

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SOURCE Decision Resources

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