U.S. gastroenterologists prescribe Abbott's Humira off-label for treating ulcerative colitis: Report

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that 63 percent of surveyed U.S. gastroenterologists prescribe Abbott's Humira off-label for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. According to the new report entitled Treatment Algorithms in Ulcerative Colitis, surveyed gastroenterologists most often prescribe Humira for ulcerative colitis for patients with loss of response, intolerance or no response to Centocor Ortho Biotech's Remicade. Analysis of patient-level claims data finds that Humira is also prescribed in a minority of instances as a first- or second-line ulcerative colitis therapy. Surveyed gastroenterologists' estimates of their Humira use by line of therapy reinforce the early-line use of Humira observed in the patient-level claims, as they estimate that more than one-third of their Humira prescriptions in ulcerative colitis are in the first or second line.

The report also finds that Warner Chilcott's Asacol and Shire's Lialda are the leading oral aminosalicylate drugs used to treat newly diagnosed ulcerative colitis patients. Oral aminosalicylates account for over half of first-line therapy patient share in newly diagnosed patients with ulcerative colitis, with Asacol making up 60 percent of the prescriptions for this class in first-line therapy. Lialda is second to Asacol in first- and second-line patient share in newly diagnosed ulcerative colitis patients, maintaining half of Asacol's patient share in the second line.

"Surveyed gastroenterologists have a more favorable view of Lialda's efficacy in inducing remission, targeted delivery and dosing frequency compared with Asacol; however, they are more familiar with Asacol given its much earlier entry to the market," said Decision Resources Therapeutic Area Director Madhuri Borde, Ph.D. "Lialda and Salix Pharmaceuticals' Apriso (which launched in 2009) will likely see greater momentum in stealing share from Asacol as gastroenterologists become convinced of their efficacy in maintaining and inducing remission, as an agent's dosing frequency or lower tablet burden is less important to surveyed gastroenterologists than these key attributes."

SOURCE Decision Resources