Schizophrenia | Unmet Need | Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia | US/EU | 2018

Although the schizophrenia drug market is crowded, few, if any, effective therapies are available in the United States and Europe to treat the disease’s negative symptoms (e.g., blunted affect, alogia). Of note, Allergan’s Vraylar has shown some efficacy in the treatment of predominant negative symptoms, and amisulpride is specifically approved in some European countries for the treatment of negative symptoms. Nevertheless, more therapies are needed. Given that a sizable proportion of schizophrenia patients exhibit negative symptoms, it is essential to understand how psychiatrists perceive the performance of current therapies and determine the greatest areas of unmet need and thus the opportunities in this space.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

• What is the relative importance of a therapy’s various attributes in psychiatrists’ prescribing decisions for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia (e.g., improvement of negative symptoms, improvement of patient functioning, improvement of positive symptoms)?
• How do U.S. psychiatrists rate Vraylar as performing on key treatment drivers and goals for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
• What are the prevailing areas of unmet need and opportunity in the treatment of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
• What trade-offs across key drug attributes and price are acceptable to psychiatrists for a hypothetical new drug for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Unmet Need: Provides quantitative insight into U.S. and European physician perceptions of key treatment drivers and goals and the current level of unmet need for a specific disease. Commercial opportunities are analyzed, and the extent to which emerging therapies may capitalize on these opportunities is evaluated.

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

Primary research: Survey of 60 psychiatrists in the United States and 33 psychiatrists in Europe.

Key companies: Allergan, Gedeon Richter, Recordati, Sanofi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, Minerva Neurosciences.

Key drugs: Vraylar (U.S.)/Reagila (Europe), amisulpride (Europe), aripiprazole, risperidone, olanzapine, fluoxetine, citalopram, roluperidone (MIN-101).

Key metrics included:

• Stated versus derived analysis of U.S. and European physician prescribing behavior.
• Conjoint analysis with U.S. and European physicians, includes market simulator.
• Assessment of current drug performance against treatment drivers and goals.
• Physician perceptions of unmet need in disease/subpopulation covered and related diseases/subpopulations.
• Analysis of remaining drug development opportunities.