Hepatitis C Virus | TreatmentTrends | EU | 2014
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infections are a leading cause of advanced liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma and are a common indication for liver transplantation in Europe. The recent approval of Gilead’s Sovaldi, Janssen/Medivir’s Olysio, and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Daklinza ushered in the era of interferon-free therapy for chronic HCV infections and has precipitated a shift in the HCV treatment paradigm. With the availability of these new agents and the anticipated market entry of other promising emerging therapies (e.g., Gilead’s Harvoni) in the near term, the treatment landscape for HCV is expected to rapidly evolve and to see major improvements in drug safety and tolerability, efficacy, compliance, and treatment duration. This report focuses on current and anticipated use of Sovaldi-, and Olysio-containing regimens, interferon-based regimens, and emerging interferon-free regimens, including Gilead’s Harvoni and AbbVie’s three-direct-acting agent (DAA) combination by capturing patient market share data, current prescribing trends, and anticipated changes in prescribing and treatment behavior. For key brands, physician perception of these agents’ strengths and weaknesses, barriers to uptake, and sales force performance will be evaluated. Physician awareness, interest, and potential impact of agents in development are also gauged in this study.
