Strong launch for Novartis' Gilenya despite its time-consuming initiation process; study

Swiss drug major Novartis' (NOVN: VX) recently-approved oral multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya (fingolimod) continues to steal share from market leaders in the MS market, and uptake is expected to increase significantly over the next year, according to a new study published this week by ITG's Majestic Market Research.

Gilenya came onto the market in late September 2010 as the first US Food and Drug Administration-approved oral disease-modifying MS drug. Despite negative sentiment around Gilenya's lengthy initiation process, neurologists are embracing the new drug at an impressive rate. Real time data from ITG's proprietary physician panel indicate that Gilenya was the disease-modifying treatment of choice for 20% of new written MS prescriptions in April. Furthermore, surveyed neurologists indicated that their prescribing of Gilenya will increase significantly over the course of 2011 as they continue to shift inadequate responders from other MS therapies to the new drug.

The study takes an in-depth look at how Gilenya's multi-step initiation process is impacting neurologists' use of the drug. According to neurologists, new treatment starts for Gilenya typically take between three to six weeks and involve the scheduling and organization of pre-screening tests and ongoing monitoring for adverse events.