Strong uptake of Regeneron/Bayer wet AMD drug Eylea in USA, but Avastin still leads

The majority of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients are administered their first intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent within the same month of initial wet AMD diagnosis, according to a new report from BioTrends Research, a unit of health care advisory firm Decision Resources.

Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX)/Genentech's Avastin (bevacizumab) has captured nearly half of first-line allocation, making Avastin the most likely therapy choice despite not being approved for wet AMD. The ChartTrends: Wet AMD (US) report finds that, after around 18 months on the market, Regeneron (Nasdaq: REGN) and Bayer's (BAYN: DE) Eylea (aflibercept, injection) owns one-fifth of first-line intravitreal pharmacotherapy (IVT) share among wet AMD patients, lagging only slightly behind that of Roche/Genentech's Lucentis (ranibizumab injection), at 27%, which has been commercially available in the USA since 2006.

A comparison of actual patient-level data and self-reported perceptions from more than 140 surveyed retinal specialists and general ophthalmologists suggests that, while physicians correctly perceive the presence of retinal and subretinal fluid as a major driver of treatment initiation, they underestimate the role of a loss in visual acuity in their decision to start patients on treatment.