U.S. Nephrologists Continue to Report a Decreasing Treatment Prevalence for ESAs and an Increasing Treatment Prevalence Trend for IV Iron, According to a Recent BioTrends Report

EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioTrends Research Group, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms for specialized biopharmaceutical issues, finds that approximately 50 percent of surveyed U.S. nephrologists have made changes to the way they are managing their patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the past three months. The most common change is targeting lower hemoglobin levels in both CKD non-dialysis (ND) and dialysis patient populations. Comparing the CKD-ND and dialysis setting, nephrologists indicate that fewer CKD-ND patients are taking erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) in the past three months, according to the latest TreatmentTrends®: Nephrology (U.S.) report.

“Surveyed nephrologists project share will continue to remain stable over the next six months, except in CKD-ND patients where nephrologists project significant declines for both Venofer and Ferrlecit.”

Physicians continue to report pressure to use more IV iron at the expense of ESAs because of the impact of bundling. In fact, treatment prevalence for IV iron has increased significantly in the hemodialysis (HD) and CKD Stage 4 patient populations between the first and second quarter of 2012. Additionally, use of IV iron is expected to increase significantly in the next six months in all populations, with the exception of a directional increase in peritoneal dialysis patients.

“While use of IV iron has increased, share for the individual IV iron preparations, including American Regent’s Venofer, Sanofi-Aventis’s Ferrlecit, AMAG’s Feraheme and Watson’s Nulecit has remained stable over the past year,” said Associate Therapeutic Class Director-Nephrology Rob Dubman. “Surveyed nephrologists project share will continue to remain stable over the next six months, except in CKD-ND patients where nephrologists project significant declines for both Venofer and Ferrlecit.”

Regarding renal anemia products in development, familiarity levels with Rockwell’s Soluble Ferric Pyrophosphate (SFP) remains about the same as last quarter, and nearly half of the respondents rate their interest as high. HIF-PH inhibitors (being developed by FibroGen, who has an Astellas partnership, Akebia Therapeutics and potentially others) – has relatively low familiarity amongst this group of surveyed U.S. nephrologists but interest continues to remain high.

TreatmentTrends: Nephrology (U.S.) is a syndicated quarterly report series, based on primary market research that provides a comprehensive view of the current and expected future management of renal anemia and bone and mineral metabolism in patients with kidney disease. The Q2 2012 wave was fielded with over 200 nephrologists in late May 2012. A parallel report covering the European (EU5) CKD and dialysis markets will be published in July covering bone and mineral metabolism and a report in August will cover renal anemia. BioTrends is also publishing a bone and mineral metabolism report for Belgium and Netherlands scheduled to publish in August 2012.

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