BioTrends' Stelara second wave report finds increase in prescribing among dermatologists

BioTrends published the second wave of LaunchTrends^®: Stelara, highlighting dermatology market trends at three months post launch.  The report is based on 76 survey responses and 20 qualitative phone interviews with U.S. dermatologists.

About one-third of the survey respondents reported trial with Stelara which is a similar rate to Wave 1.  However, prescribing dermatologists report a higher number of patients on Stelara in the current wave compared to the prior period.  Stelara receives high ratings among dermatologists for efficacy attributes and dosing convenience attributes.  Obstacles to Stelara adoption include concerns about long term safety which are exacerbated by the recent withdrawal of Genentech/Xoma's Raptiva (efalizumab) due to PML.  Additionally, many respondents report difficulty with managed care approval for Stelara.  Respondents were divided about whether the need for a healthcare provider to administer Stelara is an advantage or disadvantage.

The majority of dermatologists expect to be using Stelara in the next six months, although 22 percent report that they will wait at least a year before initiating trial in their patients.  Overall, Stelara is expected to see significant increases in market share in the next six months, primarily off-setting Amgen/Wyeth's Enbrel and Abbott's Humira, the two most entrenched biologics for psoriasis.

The final wave of this report will be fielded in April with the results published in May and will assess product uptake at the six month mark.