Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Impact of Prescriber and Payer Dynamics on Uptake of Targeted Therapies | Physician & Payer Forum | China | 2014
The Chinese market for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapies represents an increasingly lucrative space for many pharmaceutical companies. Although the high prices demanded by targeted brands are a major access barrier for Chinese patients in both the rural and the more-affluent urban areas, targeted therapies from both multinational corporations (MNCs) and local Chinese pharmaceutical companies have achieved a foothold in the Chinese HCC market. Bayer’s Nexavar takes center stage, with a number of other targeted agents prescribed off-label. The prognostic outlook for patients with stage IV HCC is dismal, and enormous unmet need exists for agents that can prolong overall survival and increase progression-free survival in HCC patients. A number of targeted agents are in the development pipeline from both local firms and MNCs. Once-promising agents brivanib (Bristol-Myers Squibb’s BMS-582664) and linifanib (Abbott Laboratories’ ABT-869) recently fell short in Phase III head-to-head trials against Nexavar, a situation that may lead to a greater demand for more second/third-line treatments. Bayer/Onyx Pharmaceuticals’ Stivarga (regorafenib) and Medigen Biotechnology’s PI-88 are currently in Phase III trials and are well positioned to launch in China in the upcoming years. Understanding the access and reimbursement environment for HCC targeted therapies in China will be essential for positioning novel treatments and expanding penetration of brands.
