MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The results of the ranking “Best Pharmaceutical Company in Germany 2020” are in. Novartis Pharma, Janssen-Cilag, GlaxoSmithKline, Amgen and Bristol-Myers Squibb have taken first to fifth place in the Pharma Trend Image & Innovation Award survey. It is commissioned annually by the magazine “PharmaBarometer”, with 1500 physicians, pharmacists, and patients being surveyed. From the 60 finalists, 8 received an award for the “Most Innovative Product” of the year. In the Rx category (prescription medications), these include: The prostate cancer medication Erleada® from Janssen-Cilag, the contraceptive coil Kyleena® from Jenapharm (Bayer Vital), Moventig® for opioid-induced constipation from Kyowa Kirin, Slenyto® from InfectoPharm for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, and the Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis medication Stelara® from Janssen-Cilag. In the orphan drugs category (treatment of rare diseases), Takhzyro® by Takeda for the prevention of hereditary angioedema took the award. In the OTC (over-the-counter) category, the pharmacists chose Thomapyrin® TENSION DUO for headaches from Sanofi and spermidineLIFE® for autophagy activation from Infectopharm. The publication of the rankings and the presentation of the individual specialist field awards took place on 15th September 2020, and because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was shown via a video stream. The “Most Innovative Product Award” acknowledges the innovative spirit and therapeutic benefit of the winning product.
The most innovative products in the Rx Category
Men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, which progresses despite hormone blockade (nmCRPC), used to be in an incredibly comfortable situation: They were prescribed a wait-and-see approach until metastases manifested themselves. This changed in 2018 with the approval of modern androgen receptor inhibitors. ERLEADA® (Apalutamide) received approval for nmCRPC treatment in 2019. At the beginning of 2020, this antiandrogen medication, in combination with a hormone blocker, was also approved for patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). The expansion of suitable indications led the specialist field of urology to name ERLEADA® as their most innovative product of 2020.
For the fourth consecutive year, the hormone coil Kyleena® was named Most Innovative Product 2020 by the specialist field of gynaecology. Kyleena® offers five years of protection against unwanted pregnancy and is suitable for all women of childbearing age. In 2nd place came DeflaGyn, a vaginal gel for patients with unclear cervical smear findings, and in 3rd place, the breast cancer product Ibrance from Pfizer.
Constipation, stomach pains, and nausea affect patients with opioid-induced constipation (OIC) to such an extent that they can be forced to discontinue treatment. Conventional laxatives are often insufficient. The new PAMORA drug class can help target the adverse intestinal effects of opioids – without negatively affecting central pain inhibition. Naloxegol (MOVENTIG®) is the first of this new class of drugs on the market that can be taken in tablet form. This was reason enough for the specialist pain therapist group to name MOVENTIG® the most innovative product of 2020.
Ever since Dustin Hoffmann’s fantastic performance as an autistic man in the film Rain Man, people are more aware of the exceptional talents and social deficits of those with autism. Less well known, however, is that children with autism often have severe sleeping problems. To treat this condition, InfectoPharm developed Slenyto®, which was chosen in 2020 by the paediatric specialist group for the second year running as their most innovative product.
The gastroenterologists chose Stelara® from Janssen as their most innovative product for the third time. Stelara® impressed gastroenterologists in the treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Other finalists for the treatment of these indications were Entyvio® from Takeda and Xeljanz® from Pfizer.
TAKHZYRO® - The most innovative product in the Orphan Drugs category
Lanadelumab (TAKHZYRO®) was developed to prevent recurring attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE). One injection administered every two weeks can prevent 80% of these gruelling attacks. For the specialist allergologist group, this new antibody is the most innovative product in 2020. In 2019, the gastroenterologist group had already awarded TAKHZYRO® with the same award. In the Orphan Drugs category, the silver medal was awarded to the Takeda medication Firazyr®, followed by Berinert® from CSL Behring in 3rd place.
The most innovative products in the OTC category
It seems that as the years pass, we all are sooner or later affected with symptoms such as forgetfulness, dementia, and cardiovascular disease. An endogenous substance that can influence these processes by activating autophagy is Spermidine. After a decade of scientific research, this torchbearer product entered the pharmacy market as a dietary supplement. This was reason enough for pharmacists to name spermidineLIFE® as the winner in the Most Innovative Product Category 2020 in the OTC category for autophagy-activating properties.
Those who suffer from headaches want nothing more than rapid relief. Thomapyrin® TENSION DUO answered the call of these patients. The first and only ibuprofen-caffeine combination on the European market was named as the most innovative product of 2020 for the treatment of headaches by pharmacists.
The award ceremony goes digital for the first time
The patron of the 21st Pharma Trend Image & Innovation Award is the Bavarian Health Minister Melanie Huml from the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care. The award ceremony was hosted by Johanna Jung, owner of JJ Sustainability Consulting. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year the award ceremony was recorded in a studio and transmitted via video stream.
You can find additional on the ranking and the awards at https://pharma-trend.com/en/ and https://youtu.be/sL5IYWPMg4I
