Truxima (rituximab), Celltrion’s MabThera biosimilar, became the first oncology monoclonal antibody biosimilar to enter the European market in April 2017. Two months later, Sandoz’s Rixathon, a second MabThera biosimilar, launched in Europe. In this series, we track awareness and uptake of Truxima and Rixathon since launch to understand how their entry will impact the NHL, CLL, and immune biologics market. Along with awareness, familiarity, and perception of Truxima and Rixathon, our analysis looks at the drivers and barriers behind uptake of these agents. Promotional efforts are explored, as well as prescriber and nonprescriber profiles, and benchmarking against other biosimilars, to better understand the dynamics of the German biosimilars market.
Questions Answered:
Are German physicians aware of Truxima and Rixathon?
What are the drivers to prescribing Truxima and Rixathon? What is the current level of Truxima and Rixathon use, and how is that changing over time?
Has experience with Truxima and Rixathon changed physicians’ opinion of biosimilars?
Have physicians experienced pressure to prescribe Truxima and Rixathon to patients?
What promotional messages are sales representatives employing for Truxima, Rixathon, and MabThera?
Differences Between Truxima and Rixathon Prescribers and Nonprescribers
Truxima: Differences Between Prescriber and Nonprescriber Profiles of Hematology Oncologists
Truxima: Differences Between Prescriber and Nonprescriber Profiles of Rheumatologists
Rixathon: Differences Between Prescriber and Nonprescriber Profiles of Hematology Oncologists
Rixathon: Differences Between Prescriber and Nonprescriber Profiles of Rheumatologists
Benchmarking Truxima's and Rixathon's Launch Success vs. Other Biosimilar Launches
Launch Metrics of Truxima vs. Rixathon
Market Access Analysis
Reimbursement of Biosimilars in Germany
Biosimilar Pricing
List Price for Rituximab
Drivers of Biosimilar Uptake
German Payers' Opinions on the Market Impact of Biosimilar Rituximab
Awareness and Perceptions of Truxima and Rixathon
Awareness of and Familiarity with Truxima and Rixathon
Unaided Awareness of Drugs for NHL and CLL
Unaided Awareness of Drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Mean Level of Familiarity with Biosimilars
Level of Familiarity with Biosimilars
Mean Level of Familiarity with Truxima and Rixathon
Level of Familiarity with Truxima and Rixathon
Perceptions of Truxima and Rixathon
Indications in Which Truxima Is Thought to Have Been Clinically Studied Prior to EC Approval
Indications in Which Rixathon Is Thought to Have Been Clinically Studied Prior to EC Approval
Indications for Which Physicians Believe Truxima Has EC Approval
Indications for Which Physicians Believe Rixathon Has EC Approval
Truxima's Clinical Development Profile
Indications for Which Physicians Believe Truxima Should Have Been Approved
Rixathon's Clinical Development Profile
Indications for Which Physicians Believe Rixathon Should Have Been Approved
Trial and Use
Current Use of Truxima and Rixathon
Drugs Prescribed for NHL and CLL
Drugs Prescribed for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Biosimilars Prescribed
Number of Patients Prescribed Truxima and Rixathon
Patient Types for Truxima and Rixathon
Mean Level of Satisfaction with Truxima
Level of Satisfaction with Truxima
Mean Level of Satisfaction with Rixathon
Level of Satisfaction with Rixathon
Current Patient Share in Oncology
Current Patient Share in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Drivers of and Barriers to Truxima and Rixathon Use
Hematology Oncologists' Reasons for Prescribing Truxima and Rixathon
Rheumatologists' Reasons for Prescribing Truxima and Rixathon
Choosing Between Truxima and Rixathon
Reasons for Not Prescribing Truxima
Reasons for Not Prescribing Rixathon
Factors Encouraging Truxima Use Among Current Nonprescribers
Factors Encouraging Rixathon Use Among Current Nonprescribers
Percentage of Physicians Unaware of Truxima's Net Cost
Truxima's Average Net Cost vs. That of MabThera
Percentage of Physicians Unaware of Rixathon's Net Cost
Rixathon's Average Net Cost vs. That of MabThera
Prescriber Perception of Truxima's and Rixathon's Similarity to MabThera
Anticipated Time to Start Prescribing Truxima
Anticipated Time to Start Prescribing Rixathon
External Factors Affecting Use
Sources of Pressure or Recommendations to Use Rixathon and Truxima
Recommendations to Hematology Oncologists for Use of Biosimilar Rituximab
Recommendations to Rheumatologists for Use of Biosimilar Rituximab
Encouragement and Expectations to Meet Prescribing Quota for Rituximab Biosimilars
Mean Reported Prescribing Quota for Rituximab Biosimilars
Expectations for the Creation of a Reference-Pricing Group
Patients' Acceptance of Truxima and Rixathon
Patients' Acceptance of Truxima and Rixathon Following Proposal by Their Physician
Percentage of Surveyed Physicians Who Have Not Proposed Using Truxima or Rixathon to Their Patients
Promotional Activity
Promotional Activity for Truxima and Rixathon
Timing of Sales Representatives' Last Contact
Topics Discussed by Sales Representatives to Hematology Oncologists
Topics Discussed by Sales Representatives to Rheumatologists
Future Use of Biosimilars
Willingness to Prescribe Novel Biosimilars
Physicians' Likelihood of Prescribing Other Novel Biosimilars Based on Experience with Truxima or Rixathon
Mean Likelihood of Prescribing a Novel Rituximab Biosimilar
Hematology Oncologists' Likelihood of Prescribing a Novel Rituximab Biosimilar
Rheumatologists' Likelihood of Prescribing a Novel Rituximab Biosimilar
Future Patient Share Expectations for Truxima and Rixathon
Rituximab Biosimilar Patient Share in Oncology in Five Years
Rituximab Biosimilar Patient Share in Rheumatoid Arthritis in Five Years
Appendix
Background on the German Rituximab Market
Background on Truxima's Development and Marketing
Timeline of EU Milestones for Truxima
The Celltrion Partnership Network
Background on Rixathon's Development and Marketing
Timeline of EU Milestones for Rixathon
Current and Future Biosimilar Landscape
Timeline of EU Approvals of Other Oncology and Immunology Biosimilars
Novel Rituximab Biosimilars in Late-Phase Development
Market News
Methodology and Objectives
Objectives
Physician Research Methodology
Number of Study Participants
Significance Testing in This Study
Payer Research Methodology
Respondent Demographics
Mean Number of Years in Clinical Practice
Practice Type
Regional Prescribing Associations in Which Respondents Conduct the Majority of Their Prescribing
Number of Oncology Patients Under Management
Number of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Under Management
Abbreviations
Table of Abbreviations
Hamzah Aideed, M.Sc.
Hamzah Aideed, M.Sc., is a manager on the Biosimilars team at Clarivate. His team conducts both primary and secondary market research to provide in-depth analysis and key insights into biosimilars and the biopharmaceutical industry. Previously, Mr. Aideed was a senior research executive in consulting at McCann Health, specializing in the design and execution of advanced qualitative and quantitative research methodologies for bespoke ad-hoc consulting projects. He holds an M.Sc. in biotechnology, bioprocessing, and business management from the University of Warwick and a B.Sc. in biological chemistry from Aston University in Birmingham.