BioTrends views Xeljanz and Zytiga prescribing in USA

After around two months on the market, 37% of US rheumatologists have prescribed Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) Xeljanz (tofacitinib) in an average of three of their rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, according to a new report from BioTrends Research, part of health care advisory firm Decision Resources.

However, nearly 10% of the surveyed rheumatologists do not plan on using Xeljanz until it has been on the market for at least one year and an additional 4% claim they will never use Xeljanz, primarily due to the drug's safety and side effect profile. When asked to consider the safety issues associated with using Xeljanz for the treatment of RA, surveyed rheumatologists are most concerned about the limited post-marketing experience with Xeljanz and the risk of serious infection and cancer. Physicians report that these issues have negatively impacted their use of the product.

Rheumatologists report that 84% of RA patients currently initiated on Xeljanz were switched from another agent. However, no one product currently available for the treatment of RA seems to be substantially more at risk for displacement by the entry of Xeljanz to the market.