Patient Share of Teva/Lundbeck’s Azilect among Recently Treated Parkinson’s Disease Patients Grew 8 Percent Year over Year

Updated Treatment Algorithms Analysis of U.S. Longitudinal Patient-Level Claims Data for Parkinson’s Disease Market Now Available

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that through examination of U.S. patient-level claims data, that patient share of Teva/Lundbeck’s Azilect among recently treated Parkinson’s disease patients continues to grow, increasing 8 percent between the fourth quarter of 2010 and the fourth quarter of 2011. Treatment Algorithms in Parkinson’s Disease examines prescription drug use for more than 23,000 diagnosed, drug-treated Parkinson’s disease patients.

“Parkinson’s disease patients moving from levodopa-carbidopa treatment to Azilect or adding Azilect to their levodopa-carbidopa therapy likely need additional treatment to control motor symptoms. Azilect’s mild side effect profile along with data suggesting possible disease-modifying capabilities make it the preferred MAO-B inhibitor”

Use of Azilect may be driven in part by its milder side effect profile compared with selegiline (Somerset Pharmaceuticals’ Eldepryl, generics), making Azilect a safer treatment choice among monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitors. Among recently treated patients who progressed to Azilect, the majority added the agent to their preceding line of therapy rather than discontinue the preceding line. Additionally, most patients progressed to Azilect from generic levodopa-carbidopa fixed-dose combinations, with the majority of these patients adding Azilect to levodopa-carbidopa therapy.

“Parkinson’s disease patients moving from levodopa-carbidopa treatment to Azilect or adding Azilect to their levodopa-carbidopa therapy likely need additional treatment to control motor symptoms. Azilect’s mild side effect profile along with data suggesting possible disease-modifying capabilities make it the preferred MAO-B inhibitor,” said Director Nicole Westphal, Ph.D. “Azilect maintains a leading position among branded Parkinson’s disease agents, reflecting physicians’ use of the agent across the treatment algorithm, including using the drug as an early-line therapy to delay the need for levodopa, as a later-line therapy ahead of the initiation of levodopa therapy or as a later-line therapy as an add-on to levodopa.”

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. Treatment Algorithms in Parkinson’s Disease also examines treatment of newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease patients.

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