Total Atorvastatin Use Increased Following Lipitor Patent Loss

  Total Atorvastatin Use Increased Following Lipitor Patent Loss

  Updated Treatment Algorithms Analysis of U.S. Longitudinal Claims Data for
                          Dyslipidemia Now Available

Business Wire

BURLINGTON, Mass. -- August 07, 2012

Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms
focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds as expected, among
recently treated dyslipidemia patients, share of Pfizer’s branded Lipitor
declined from the third quarter of 2011 to the fourth quarter, as the drug
lost patent protection. However, examination of U.S. longitudinal
patient-level claims data reveals that during this time period total
atorvastatin (Lipitor and generic atorvastatin) usage increased 10 percent.
Recently treated patients are defined as patients treated for dyslipidemia in
the fourth quarter of 2011; the analysis found in Treatment Algorithms in
Dyslipidemia, reviews historical therapies used in their treatment.

These data indicate that the entry of generic atorvastatin will likely
continue to increase the share of the molecule overall in the treatment of
dyslipidemia. Generic atorvastatin will likely draw share not only from
branded Lipitor but also from other branded and generic statins, reflecting
physicians’ perception that atorvastatin has superior efficacy and confers
greater protection for cardiovascular risk than other available statins.

“While only a small percentage of switches to atorvastatin were from statins
other than Lipitor, switching data suggest that generic simvastatin may
experience the largest decline in patient share—among statins other than
Lipitor—following generic atorvastatin entry,” said Director Nicole Westphal,
Ph.D.

Lipitor lost U.S. patent protection in November 2011 and generic atorvastatin
launched on November 30, 2011, just one month before the close of the data
collection period for this analysis.

The analysis also examines physicians’ prescribing patterns among newly
diagnosed dyslipidemia patients. Consistent with treatment guidelines, statins
(Lipitor, simvastatin, others) lead other classes of agents in the first line,
capturing 84 percent patient share. Although non-statin brands see limited use
in the first line, these agents’ patient share increases in later lines of
therapy. For instance, GlaxoSmithKline’s Lovaza reaches approximately 12
percent patient share as a third-line therapy among newly diagnosed patients,
the highest non-statin branded patient share in the third line.

The analysis is part of the Treatment Algorithms Insight series, which through
examination of U.S. longitudinal patient-level claims data, provides
exceptional insight into physicians’ prescribing trends, from diagnosis
through multiple courses of treatment, for a specific disease. Quarterly data
analysis reveals progression rates of patients through each line of therapy,
the share each brand commands by line of therapy and add-versus-switch
patterns to key brands.

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Contact:

Decision Resources
Lisa Osgood, 781-993-2606
losgood@dresources.com
or
Decision Resources Group
Christopher Comfort, 781-993-2597
ccomfort@dresources.com