Rate of Switching from Regeneron’s Eylea to Genentech’s Vabysmo Doubled Over Past Year for Diabetic Macular Edema

Exton, Pennsylvania, Nov. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As U.S. ophthalmologists increasingly embrace a wider array of treatment options, the landscape of the diabetic macular edema (DME) market has begun to evolve. Spherix Global Insights has unveiled its latest findings in the second annual Patient Chart Dynamix™: Biologic Switching in Diabetic Macular Edema (US) report. This comprehensive study is based on data sourced from 511 eyes across 360 DME patients who transitioned to a new intravitreal biologic within the last three months. The extensive data were provided from 128 ophthalmologists practicing across the United States. 

According to participating ophthalmologists, more than 40% of their DME patients are currently receiving a second- or subsequent-line biologic treatment. Moreover, the landscape of DME treatment has seen a significant transformation over the last eighteen months, driven by the introduction of several medications in 2022 including Genentech’s Vabysmo®, Novartis’s Beovu®, Coherus BioScience’s Cimerli®, and in August 2023, Regeneron’s Eylea® HD. This influx has led prescribers to estimate that approximately one-fifth of their DME-treated patients have recently switched between biologic therapies, a figure up from 2022 reports.

While study results show Eylea has maintained a lead in the switch market, the overall share for Regeneron’s top-selling brand has notably declined compared to 2022, with the switch share for Vabysmo nearly doubling over the past year. Increased use of Vabysmo has not only impacted later-line use of Eylea but also Roche’s own Lucentis. Regardless of second- or later-line switch patterns, a majority of patients continue to start their advanced therapy journey with off-label Avastin. However, rates of Eylea use in earlier lines have also increased year over year.

Finally, from the study, most biologic switches are reportedly driven by efficacy concerns related to the previous brand, although considerations regarding dosing schedule, safety, and tolerability also factored into the decision. Conversely, the selection of the new brand was often influenced by the clinician’s anticipation of better retinal drying, their belief in the new biologic as the optimal choice, and their overall positive perception of its efficacy. Vabysmo’s distinct mechanism of action and bispecific pathway emerged as pivotal factors motivating ophthalmologists to opt for it as a switching option, whereas the decision to switch to Eylea was predominantly influenced by a sense of comfort and familiarity.

Study results hint that the recent introduction of 8mg Eylea HD is poised to hinder Vabysmo’s positive momentum into 2024, as a considerable portion of the switches to Vabysmo might have opted for Eylea HD if it had been available at the time of evaluation.

Patient Chart Dynamix™ is an independent, data-driven service unveiling real patient management patterns through rigorous analysis of large-scale patient chart audits. Insights reveal the “why” behind treatment decisions, include year over year trending to quantify key aspects of market evolution, and integrate specialists’ attitudinal and demographic data, connecting trends at the patient level to the prescribing physicians. 

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Spherix Global Insights is a leading provider of market research, business intelligence and advisory services to the global life sciences industry. The company’s unique service offerings are powered by deep therapeutic knowledge, the Spherix Network specialty physician panel, and commercially relevant analyses to enable strategic decision-making by our valued customers.

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