Painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), a subset of diabetic neuropathy; affects approximately seven million people in the United States and major European markets. The primary goal of treating PDN is to reduce the severity and prevent worsening of the pain while improving the patient’s QOL. The most frequently prescribed drugs for treating PDN are Lyrica (Pfizer), gabapentin (Pfizer’s Neurontin, generics), duloxetine (Eli Lilly/Boehringer Ingelheim’s Cymbalta/Xeristar, generics), Nucynta ER/Palexia SR/Yantil (Janssen/Depomed/Grünenthal), and Qutenza (Acorda/Grünenthal). The goal of treatment with all of these agents is to provide adequate analgesia to patients, each of whom may respond differently to these therapies. Despite the availability of these agents and an armamentarium of other drugs in the United States and Europe to treat PDN, opportunity remains in the PDN market for new agents that can address existing unmet needs, such as the need for products with more efficacious and safer profiles.
This Unmet Need content provides quantitative insight into U.S. and European neurologists’ perceptions of key treatment drivers and goals in the treatment of PDN 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:
Markets covered: United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany
Primary research: Survey of 61 U.S. and 32 European neurologists fielded in December 2016
Key companies: AbbVie, Acorda Therapeutics, Astellas Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim, Depomed, Eli Lilly, Grünenthal, Janssen, and Pfizer
Key drugs: Amitriptyline, duloxetine, gabapentin, Lyrica, Qutenza, tapentadol ER, and Vicodin