Rheumatology survey shows extent of shift towards Celgene's Otezla

Research among 101 rheumatologists in the USA shows a shift in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, namely the uptake and expanded use of Otezla (apremilast) from Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG).

Research carried out by market research service RealTime Dynamix in late July and early August shows an increasing number of rheumatologists view Otezla as a first-line treatment option before popular anti-TNF treatments such as Humira (adalimumab) from AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and Remicade (infliximab) from Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). More than 40% of prescribers expect to increase their use of Otezla in September as they become comfortable with the safety profile and find the oral formulation favorable. Otezla has, however, a relatively high discontinuation rate.

The psoriatic arthritis market is expected to become more competitive in the near future with approval pending for three drugs which are all currently approved for other indications: Xeljanz (tofacitinib) from Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Orencia from Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and Cosentyx from Novartis (NOVN: VX). More than a quarter of respondents to the survey said they had off-label experiences with these therapies in psoriatic arthritis, which gives them a launch advantage over those where that is not the case.