Benlysta gaining bigger US market share

Over half of surveyed US rheumatologists surveyed by Decision Resources unit BioTrends have initiated trial on US biotech firm Human Genome Sciences (Nasdaq: HGSI) and UK drug giant GlaxoSmithKline’s (LSE: GSK) Benlysta (belimumab), up from 36% at three months post-launch and significantly higher than 25% at one month post-launch.

One of the most notable shifts in prescribing since one month post-launch is a significant increase in current Benlysta shares for the moderate and severe patient groups, according to the findings, which measure product uptake and commercial effectiveness at six months post launch.

Rheumatologists continue to view the main benefit for Benlysta, the first drug approved for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in five decades, as its novel mechanism of action, while its main disadvantages continues to center around its cost (as relates to the patients’ out-of-pocket expense), its intravenous route of administration, and its limited indications. However, safety concerns specific to Benlysta are significantly higher among non-users at six months versus Benlysta users. Since a previous report, Benlysta has been most associated with achieving decreased use of steroids and improvement in quality of life.