IN FOCUS
Off-patent Rx leads fibromyalgia category
As the number of FDA- generics will decrease in the next
approved fibromyalgia thera- Brand share by line of therapy two years, presumably as these
pies has grown, so has patient First-line prescriptions for fibromyalgia among PCPs, rheumatologists physicians turn more frequently
hope for relief from the ail- 40% to drugs with regulatory approv-
40
ment. however, the condition 35%
37% al in early lines of treatment.
is still not well understood by 35 33% 33% 32% 32% 32% still, more education could
the medical community overall, 30 help boost brand share. On whom
hampering uptake of branded 25
should marketers target their
21%
drugs approved for the disorder. educational efforts? Accord-
20 18%
A new report suggests that bet- ing to Decision resources, a
ter training for internists, who 15 focused effort on reducing the
are on the front lines of diagno- 10 number of visits that an internist
sis and treatment, could help. 5 needs to diagnose fibromyalgia
the problem starts in the 0 could accelerate prescriptions
exam room. Among primary Amitriptyline Cyclobenzaprine Cymblalta Lyrica Savella for first-line treatments. this is
care physicians (PCPs) who see n= 76 PCPs n= 75 Rheumatologists one area where the numbers
at least 10 fibromyalgia patients Source: Decision Resources
are in pharma’s favor. though
per month, only 4% are com- rheumatologists could benefit
fortable diagnosing it after one from more education—45% of
visit, compared to over 40% of patients in the care of PCPs take more likely to prescribe generics them need to see a patient two
rheumatologists, according to a longer to receive their diagnosis, than branded drugs for patients times before feeling comfortable
survey from Decision resources they likely must wait longer for with this condition. (Forest/ with a diagnosis—focusing detail
which focused on the emerging drug treatment. Cypress bioscience’s savella efforts on the nation’s 4,600
category. “this underscores Confusion in