Reimbursement barriers a factor that strongly constrains Zytiga prescribing in USA

In a little more than a year after its launch, a sizeable proportion of surveyed US oncologists indicate they are prescribing Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Biotech/Janssen-Cilag's Zytiga (abiraterone), according to its approved indication, according to a new report from Decision Resources.

Surveyed US oncologists indicate they currently prescribe Zytiga to 41% of their patients who have previously received docetaxel-containing chemotherapy, while just 13% of surveyed urologists indicate that they currently prescribe Zytiga in this setting. Approximately 40% of oncologists and urologists who prescribe Zytiga indicate that reimbursement barriers (such as prior authorization) are a factor that strongly constrains their prescribing of Zytiga.

“Prescribing of Zytiga will increase further over the next year, especially among surveyed urologists, and in the chemotherapy-naive setting where we expect Zytiga to secure a label extension,” said Decision Resources analyst Rachel Webster, adding: “Zytiga’s use will see a shift to the first-line chemotherapy-naive setting, particularly in asymptomatic patients, and its quick establishment in this setting will present a hurdle for emerging therapies to win share.”