Owing to Safety, Escitalopram Will Remain as the Clinical Gold Standard Treatment, According to a New Report from Decision Resources WALTHAM, Mass., July 15
WALTHAM, Mass., July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the
world's leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and
healthcare issues, finds that a drug's long-term efficacy in preventing
recurrence of depressive mood episodes in patients who suffer from major
depressive disorder, is the attribute that most influences psychiatrists'
prescribing decisions in the treatment of this disorder. Clinical data and
expert opinion show that current and emerging therapies will continue to
struggle for patient share through subtle differences in efficacy,
tolerability and delivery.
The new report entitled Major Depressive Disorder: Long-Term Efficacy
Would Differentiate a New Drug in the Crowded Antidepressant Market finds that
if an agent preventing recurrence of depressive mood episodes superior to that
of sales-leading Wyeth's Effexor XR were to be launched, it would earn a 25
percent patient share, according to surveyed psychiatrists. The report also
finds that although Effexor XR is the sales leader in the major depressive
disorder drug market, the current and future Decision Resources proprietary
clinical gold standard treatment for the indication is escitalopram
(Lundbeck's Cipralex/Seroplex; Forest's Lexapro).
Although escitalopram's efficacy is not the highest in our study, the drug
outscored any other current therapy in the area of safety. Experts we
interviewed explain that because the drug is an active metabolite, lower doses
can be used, an advantage that results in safety benefits.
"Based on available data and expert opinion, we do not expect any therapy
under development to displace escitalopram as the clinical gold standard for
major depressive disorder," said Carlos Dedesma, Ph.D., analyst at Decision
Resources. "Although some therapies in development hold promise, most of them
earned inferior scores in efficacy, safety and tolerability, and/or delivery
features when compared with escitalopram."
About the Report
Major Depressive Disorder: Long-Term Efficacy Would Differentiate a New
Drug in the Crowded Antidepressant Market is a DecisionBase 2008 report from
Decision Resources. DecisionBase 2008 combines market forecasts with clinical
and commercial end points to assess market share projections in 35
indications. These outputs are driven by quantitative and qualitative primary
research. DecisionBase 2008 provides detailed market share, patient share, and
price-per-day projections for emerging drugs in development. The market share
projections are based on prescriber surveys that compare physicians'
expectations of a potential target product profile with an emerging product
profile of the leading drugs in development.
The report can be purchased by contacting Decision Resources. Members of
the media may request an interview with an analyst.
About Decision Resources
Decision Resources (http://www.decisionresources.com) is a world leader in
market research publications, advisory services and consulting designed to
help clients shape strategy, allocate resources and master their chosen
markets. Decision Resources is a Decision Resources, Inc. company.
All company, brand or product names contained in this document may be
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
For more information, contact:
Elizabeth Marshall
Decision Resources
781-296-2563
emarshall@dresources.com
SOURCE Decision Resources
