Merck & Co says study shows significantly higher persistence for its arthritis drug Simponi
pharmafile | March 17, 2016 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Merck & Co, drug trial, research, rheumatoid arthritis
US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) said its rheumatoid arthritis drug showed significantly higher persistence compared with other drugs in a new study.
Sumesh Kachroo, Director of Outcomes Research at MSD and Swedish registry publication author, says: “This real-world study demonstrated that, in subcutaneous TNF inhibitor-naïve IMRD patients, Simponi had significantly higher persistence rates compared with Humira and Enbrel. These results support existing long-term Simponi data for persistence.”
As persistence rates observed across all treatments in this study were lower than those observed in clinical trials, the study suggest the need for all-party engagement and development of programmes to increase persistence rates in clinical practice, to improve clinical outcomes.
In addition, the study also indicated that treatment persistence with the subcutaneous-TNF inhibitors (adalimumab, certolizumab, etanercept and golimumab) may also lower health care costs.
“This is thought to be the first study in a European setting that shows that persistence in treatment with SC-TNF inhibitor may be associated with cost offsets,” explains Sumesh Kachroo. “This provides further evidence for the need of an all-inclusive approach involving provider-patient-payer-drug manufacturer to find ways to increase persistence rates in real-world settings”.
Merck’s Simponi competes with Abbvie’s (NYSE: ABBV) Humaira (adalimumab) and Amgen’s (Nasdaq: AMGN) Enbrel (etanercept) in the arthritis market.
Anjali Shukla
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