Cancer pain is a complex form of chronic pain to treat because it typically involves mixed nociceptive and neuropathic pain resulting from multiple causes (e.g., chemotherapy, metastases). Treatment decisions are further complicated by differing patient responses to analgesics, intrusive side effects, and safety / tolerability issues that are pervasive among the many analgesic drug classes (e.g., opioid analgesics, antiepileptic drugs) prescribed for cancer pain. Currently, traditional opioid analgesics, most of which are generically available, dominate the treatment of cancer pain. With the exception of costly abuse-deterrent reformulations of certain opioid analgesics, no truly novel or mechanism-based therapies have launched in recent years. As cancer survival rates continue to grow and life expectancy increases, so too do the prevalence of cancer pain and the need for more analgesic treatments that are tolerable over the long term.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED
- How is cancer pain being treated in the United States today, and what are the drivers and constraints influencing physicians’ treatment decisions?
- How do opioid analgesics with less abuse potential and therapies effective in treating neuropathic pain fit into the treatment algorithm for cancer pain?
- What factors drive switching between or discontinuation of select analgesics?
- How do physicians characterize recent changes in their treatment of cancer pain, and what changes to current usage do they expect within the next year?
GEOGRAPHY: United States
PRIMARY RESEARCH: Survey of 50 U.S. oncologists and 50 U.S. pain specialists
KEY DRUGS COVERED: Fentanyl transdermal patch (Duragesic, generics), Nucynta IR / ER (tapentadol IR / ER), oxycodone CR / ER (OxyContin, generics; Xtampza ER), pregabalin (Lyrica, generics)
KEY INSIGHTS PROVIDED:
- Factors influencing disease management and treatment decisions.
- Drivers and constraints of treatment selection.
- Physician-reported treatment practices and brand-level patient shares.
- Rationale for changes in treatment approach.
- Physician insight on persistency and compliance.
- Physician-reported recent/anticipated changes in brand usage or treatment approach.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Current Treatment: Physician Insights provides physician insights on treatment dynamics, prescribing behavior, and drivers of brand use so that marketers can create specific messaging around these treatment dynamics to more effectively increase or defend their market position.
- Cancer Pain - Current Treatment - Detailed, Expanded Analysis (US)
- Current Treatment Physician Insights - Cancer Pain - US - September 2020
Bethany A. Kiernan, Ph.D.
Bethany A. Kiernan, Ph.D., is a senior director on the CNS/Ophthalmology Disorders team at Clarivate. She manages and supports a team of business insights analysts in producing both syndicated and custom market research analyses in a range of psychiatry and pain indications. Dr. Kiernan has extensive experience in market forecasting and broad knowledge across a range of CNS disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, and chronic pain indications. Her previous experience includes eight years of scientific research conducted at Tufts University School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, and the College of the Holy Cross. She earned her doctorate in neurosciences from Case Western Reserve University.
Joyce Spadafora, A.L.M.
Joyce Spadafora, A.L.M., is a senior analyst on the CNS/Ophthalmology Disorders team. She authors content on various chronic pain, psychiatric, and neurological indications. Prior to joining the company, she spent several years in the biotech industry focusing on new product development and consulting. She holds a master’s degree in extension studies in psychology from Harvard University and a bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering with biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.