Exton, Pennsylvania, Aug. 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In February 2023, Pfizer published their positive Phase 3 clinical trial results for zavegepant (new brand name, Zavzpret™). At the time, neurologists surveyed in a Spherix Global Insights study were “cautiously optimistic” that the first-ever, CGRP receptor antagonist nasal spray would prove to be an effective weapon in the acute treatment of migraine armamentarium.
Now with the July commercial availability of Zavzpret, Spherix has begun tracking its launch in the Launch Dynamix™: Zavzpret for Acute Treatment of Migraine study. The first report from this tracking study was released August 11, 2023.
Just before Pfizer received FDA approval for Zavzpret, Spherix surveyed 103 specialists (published in the June RealTime Dynamix™ report) and found that their earlier cautious optimism for Zavzpret has evolved into something you might call “eager enthusiasm”. As of June, over three-quarters of physicians planned to prescribe Zavzpret to their migraine patients within the first six months of availability. In comparison to a 2021 launch of Impel Pharmaceutical’s Trudhesa, a nasal spray with a different mechanism of action (dihydroergotamine), Spherix found about half of specialists planned to use that product within its first 6 months of launch. That projection was born out in Trudhesa’s fairly slow market uptake over the next year.
Is the different future-prescribing expectation between Trudhesa and Zavzpret a function of their respective MoAs? Are the different projected prescribing rates due to one company doing a better job of convincing neurologists of its route of administration (RoA) advantage versus orals (like AbbVie’s Ubrelvy, Pfizer’s Nurtec ODT and, Eli Lilly’s Reyvow)? Did COVID-19 hamper Trudhesa’s launch? Or, do future-prescribing projections reflect neurologists’ expectations for Pfizer’s marketing efforts?
One way to tease apart the relative advantages and disadvantages of new migraine therapies is to utilize Spherix’s Launch Dynamix™: Zavzpret series. Spherix will be the first insight provider to dissect the impact of RoAs (e.g.,Trudhesa’s DHE nasal spray vs. the multi-dose oral tablet offerings in Ubrelvy and Nurtec ODT) versus MoAs (DHE vs anti CGRP nasal sprays). Spherix will also monitor the degree to which onset of action drives relative prescribing. For example, as shown below, neurologists in the latest wave of the RealTime Dynamix™: Migraine hint that Zavzpret prescriptions will come at the expense of orals – suggesting MoA may be the driving factor.
Pfizer’s Zavzpret is available many months – if not years - ahead of other products that are in late-phase development for the acute treatment of migraine. These products include Axsome’s AXS-07, an oral anti-CGRP with FDA approval expected late 2023; Amneal’s DHE autoinjector, expected to be submitted for approval in Q4 2023; and Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories’ (formerly Satsuma) STS-101, a DHE product that would be the first powder nasal spray as opposed to liquid or injection. Spherix will be tracking the awareness and perception of these investigational, pipeline therapies in its separate service, RealTime Dynamix™.
About Launch Dynamix™
Launch Dynamix™ is an independent service providing monthly benchmarking of newly launched products for the first eighteen months of commercial availability, augmented by a quarterly deep dive into promotional activity, barriers to uptake, and patient types gravitating to the launch brand.
About RealTime Dynamix™
RealTime Dynamix™ is an independent service providing strategic guidance through quarterly or semiannual reports, which include market trending and a fresh infusion of event-driven and variable content with each wave. The reports provide an unbiased view of the competitive landscape within rapidly evolving specialty markets, fueled by robust HCP primary research and our in-house team of experts.
About Spherix Global Insights
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.
A trusted advisor and industry thought leader, Spherix Global Insights provides specialized market expertise in six (6) focused therapeutic areas including: dermatology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, rheumatology and ophthalmology.
To learn more about Spherix Global Insights, visit spherixglobalinsights.com or connect through LinkedIn and Twitter.
NOTICE: All company, brand or product names in this press release are trademarks of their respective holders. The findings and opinions expressed within are based on Spherix Global Insight’s analysis and do not imply a relationship with or endorsement by any company, brand, or product aforementioned.
