Rheumatoid Arthritis | Disease Landscape and Forecast | G7 | 2020

The increasingly crowded RA market boasts many targeted agents representing several different drug classes, including blockbuster TNF-α inhibitors, five non-TNF-α biologics (including the second IL-6 inhibitor Kevzara [Regeneron / Sanofi]), and five oral JAK inhibitors—Xeljanz (Pfizer), Olumiant (Eli Lilly), Rinvoq (AbbVie), Jyseleca (Galapagos / Gilead / Eisai), and Smyraf (Astellas). The TNF-α inhibitors are the most widely prescribed biologics for RA that is refractory to conventional DMARDs, and the non-TNF-α biologics and JAK inhibitors largely compete for use in the TNF-refractory population. With the recent approval of an additional JAK inhibitor (Gilead / Galapagos’s Jyseleca) and biosimilars of several TNF and non-TNF biologics, marketers are facing fierce competition and increasing challenges to gain market share.

Questions answered:

• What are physicians’ preferred TNF-α inhibitors, and what factors are influencing this perception? Given the increasingly fragmented RA market, how likely are physicians to cycle through multiple anti-TNF agents before progressing to a novel MOA?
• What are physicians’ perceptions of the currently marketed non-TNF-α inhibitor biologics and oral JAK inhibitors, and where do these agents fit in their current treatment approach? Which of these agents has been/will be the most successful in targeting the TNF-refractory patient segment?
• How will the entry of additional novel oral therapies affect the RA treatment algorithm, and in which patient segments and lines of treatment will these therapies most likely be used? How will the entry of biosimilars affect the market sales and patient share of currently marketed RA agents and the entry of emerging therapies?

Scope:

Markets covered: United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Japan.

Primary research: 27 country-specific interviews with thought leaders.

Epidemiology: Number of total, diagnosed, and drug-treated prevalent cases of RA; number of diagnosed prevalent cases of RA by severity.

Emerging therapies: Preregistered / registered: 1 drug; Phase III: 2 drugs; coverage of 8 select early-phase pipeline products.