Unipolar Depression | Unmet Need | Treatment Resistant Depression | US/EU | 2017

A patient with major depressive disorder (MDD) who does not achieve adequate response to more than two different trials of antidepressant drugs is then usually considered as having treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The main goal of TRD treatment is to provide relief and ultimately complete remission from depressive symptoms in patients. Commonly prescribed drugs are aripiprazole (Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s Abilify, generics), bupropion SR (GlaxoSmithKline’s Wellbutrin SR/Elontril/Zyban, other brands, generics), citalopram (Allergan’s Celexa, Lundbeck’s Seropram/Cipramil, generics), duloxetine (Eli Lilly’s Cymbalta/Xeristar, generics), olanzapine/fluoxetine combination (Eli Lilly’s Symbyax, generics), quetiapine XR (AstraZeneca’s Seroquel Prolong/XR/LP, generics), and vortioxetine (Lundbeck/Takeda Pharmaceutical’s Trintellix, Lundbeck’s Brintellix). The goal of treatment with all of these agents is to provide adequate relief to patients, each of whom may respond differently to these therapies. Despite the availability of these agents in the United States and Europe to treat MDD/TRD, opportunity remains in the MDD market for new agents that can address existing unmet needs such as the need therapies with improved efficacy.

This Unmet Need content provides quantitative insight into U.S. and European psychiatrists’ perception of key treatment drivers and goals in the treatment of TRD and the current level of unmet need in this indication. We analyze the commercial opportunities and how emerging therapies may capitalize on these opportunities.

Questions Answered:

• What are the treatment drivers and goals for TRD?
• What attributes are key influencers, which have limited impact, and which are hidden opportunities?
• How do current therapies perform on key treatment drivers and goals for TRD?
• What are the prevailing areas of unmet need and opportunity in TRD?
• What trade-offs across different clinical attributes and price are acceptable to U.S. and European psychiatrists for a hypothetical new TRD drug?

Markets covered: United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany

Primary research: Survey of 60 U.S. and 31 European psychiatrists fielded in February 2017

Key companies: Allergan, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Lundbeck, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Takeda Pharmaceutical

Key drugs: Aripiprazole, bupropion SR, citalopram, duloxetine, olanzapine/fluoxetine combination, quetiapine XR, and vortioxetine