Physicians Value Long-acting and FDC Antidiabetic Agents, Although Competitive Pricing Will Be Needed for Favorable Reimbursement

BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group finds that the majority of surveyed endocrinologists and primary care physicians would utilize, if approved, the novel long-acting agents omarigliptin (Merck), Tanzeum (GlaxoSmithKline), Trulicity (Eli Lilly), and ITCA-650 (Intarcia Therapeutics) and the novel fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) Invokamet (Johnson & Johnson/Mitsubishi Tanabe), saxagliptin/dapagliflozin (AstraZeneca), and LixiLan (Sanofi/Zealand Pharma). Although direct clinical benefit remains a strong driver for prescribing, the potential for improved compliance is also influential. Despite the potential for improved outcomes with novel long-acting agents and FDCS, surveyed payers would need to see improvements over current therapies or very competitive pricing to consider favorable coverage.

Other key findings from the U.S. Physician & Payer Forum report entitled Long-Acting Agents and Fixed-Dose Combinations for Type 2 Diabetes: U.S. Physician and Payer Opinion on the Benefits of Next-Generation Antidiabetic Therapies:

• Long-acting agents and FDCs: The majority of surveyed physicians agree that long-acting agents and FDCs are important therapeutic options and that an unmet need exists for novel type 2 diabetes agents. The belief that long-acting agents and FDCs can improve compliance/adherence is the most common reason for surveyed physicians agreeing that such agents are an important therapeutic option.
• Impact of non-preferred coverage: Surveyed physicians are planning to prescribe the emerging long-acting therapies and FDC antidiabetic agents, and surveyed payers will include them on preferred tiers should they agree with the pricing. However, non-preferred coverage will sharply constrain the percentage of patients receiving these therapies.
• Reimbursement hurdles: Novel long-acting agents and FDCs will face considerable reimbursement hurdles, particularly if they are priced at a premium. Emerging therapies that are reformulations of already available molecules, with limited advantages beyond delivery, will likely face significant market access hurdles and stiff resistance by managed care organizations to include these drugs on their formulary if they are priced at a premium.

Comments from Decision Resources Group Analyst Tim Blackstock:

• "For drug developers, it will be crucial to find the balance between pricing novel long-acting and FDC antidiabetic products high enough to obtain a reasonable return on their R&D investment, while also pricing these agents competitively enough to gain favorable tier placement."
• "Whereas surveyed practitioners believe that more can be done in terms of the development of FDCs, the majority of surveyed payers do not see there being an unmet need in this area. This difference could have ramifications for market access to emerging FDCs."

About Decision Resources Group
Decision Resources Group offers best-in-class, high-value information and insights on critical issues within the healthcare industry. Clients rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions. Find out more at www.DecisionResourcesGroup.com.

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For more information, contact:

Decision Resources Group
Christopher Comfort
781-993-2597
[email protected]

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SOURCE Decision Resources Group

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