Spherix Global Insights' Initial Report On The European Psoriasis Market Reveals Swift Uptake Of Biosimilar Use At The Expense Of Abbvie's Humira

The recent launches of adalimumab biosimilars in the EU5 (France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the UK) have resulted in a decrease in share for name brand Humira, while newly launched products such as Janssen's Tremfya, UCB's Cimzia, and Almirall's Ilumetri are having a tougher time gaining traction.

Exton, PA /PRNewswire/ -- Spherix Global Insights recently published the inaugural wave of RealTime Dynamix™: Psoriasis (EU), a bi-annual tracking study that includes a mix of trended metrics, launch metrics, and variable content on the EU5 psoriasis landscape. The Q1 2019 report, which comprised responses from 262 EU5 dermatologists, revealed that the vast majority of respondents reported increasing their use of biologics for the treatment of psoriasis over the past year – most commonly attributed to new alternate mechanism of action (MOA) agents and biologic biosimilars coming to the market, as well as a growing comfort with prescribing biologics earlier in the treatment paradigm. Though rates of biologic treatment by psoriasis severity are markedly lower in the EU5 than in the US (according to the Q4 2018 wave of a parallel study in the US psoriasis market), more biosimilars have become available in the EU5, which may lead to a further increase in biologic use as dermatologists become increasingly familiar/comfortable with the new products.

With the launch of numerous different adalimumab biosimilars just two months prior to the fielding of this study in December 2018 and January 2019, the biosimilars of AbbVie's blockbuster drug have already captured 15% of all adalimumab use for the treatment of psoriasis across the EU5. Uptake has been most rapid in Germany, where biosimilar brands account for over one-quarter of all adalimumab-treated patients, higher than that of any other EU5 country. On the other hand, etanercept biosimilars account for one-third of all etanercept use across the EU5, as Amgen's patent for Enbrel expired over three years ago. Etanercept biosimilar share is relatively equal across Germany, Italy, and the UK, while it is significantly lower in Italy and Spain where branded Enbrel still accounts for the majority of etanercept share. Projected share for both groups of biosimilars are anticipated to increase substantially over the next six months.

Of the three launches currently being tracked in the bi-annual study, more respondents were aware of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approval of Janssen's Tremfya than they were of UCB's Cimzia and Almirall's Ilumetri, with overall familiarity following suit. Still, the adoption of Tremfya in the EU5 has been slow, with the exception of Germanywhere Tremfya has reportedly captured over 10% of the biologic market. Despite Cimzia possessing multiple other autoimmune indications across the EU5, uptake of the agent in psoriasis has also been slow, though it is perceived by dermatologists as an excellent option for treatment during pregnancy, with 48% of respondents citing that the TNF inhibitor's greatest advantage is its potential use in pregnancy/women of childbearing age. Almirall's Ilumetri (marketed by Sun Pharma as Ilumya in the US) has experienced sluggish uptake in the EU5, most likely due to the recency of launch, overall lack of familiarity, and potentially due to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) recommendation against the IL-23 inhibitor for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Nevertheless, Humira, Janssen's Stelara, and Novartis' Cosentyx still account for the lion's share of biologic-treated patients in the EU5, each garnering a relatively equal share of the biologic pie. Stelara is the most prescribed alternate MOA biologic in both the EU5 and the US, with Cosentyx and Eli Lilly's Taltz not far behind. However, the difference in share between the two IL-17 inhibitors is much more distinct in the EU5 than it is in the US, with dermatologists across the pond largely favoring Novartis' drug. Interestingly, uptake of LEO Pharma's third-to-market IL-17 inhibitor, Kyntheum, is three times greater than the same brand in the US (marketed by Ortho Dermatologic as Siliq), likely a result of the two brands carrying different labels and warnings associated with their approvals.

While adalimumab biosimilars' collective biologic share in the EU5 psoriasis market is nearly equal to that of Tremfya's and greater than that of Cimzia and Ilumetri's combined, a look at anticipated future brand share three months out reveals that this will not impinge on the uptake of the newer alternate MOAs. Indeed, use of the three aforementioned agents are projected to increase over the next three months and most aggressively for Tremfya. Conversely, EU5 dermatologists report that they have already decreased their use of Humira over the past three months and anticipate even further decreases over the next three months – all while projected share of the TNF inhibitor's biosimilars is expected to grow throughout the same time period. With increased pressure on AbbVie's Humira via the encroaching biosimilar market, timing is critical to bridge awareness of their pipeline, namely their IL-23 inhibitor risankizumab, which could score EMA and FDA approvals as early as Q2 of this year.

About RealTime Dynamix™
The RealTime Dynamix™: Psoriasis (EU) report series provides a detailed and timely look at current and future trends in the psoriasis market and the effects of the future shifting landscape. The bi-annual 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 bi-annually. 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. A quarterly US companion study on the psoriasis market is also available.

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.

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