Collecting 100,000 patient years of Entyvio data definitely worthwhile, says Takeda's Mona Khalid

With sales of 97 billion yen ($970 million) for the first half of 2017, a rise of nearly 50% on the previous year, the gastroenterology product Entyvio (vedolizumab) is the best-selling brand of Japanese pharma major Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502).

This monoclonal antibody is indicated to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), which are chronic conditions and are two of the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a market predicted to be worth around $20 billion in total within a decade.

With that in mind – and given the competition in a field that features some of pharma’s biggest players – getting gastroenterologists, payers and patients to believe in Entyvio above rival therapies is crucial if its growth is to continue.