Monday January 12, 8:04 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
HIV Therapies: Paradox in Drug Promotion?
NEWTOWN, Pa.--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 12, 1998--The unique status of AIDS has led to a seeming paradox in the way pharmaceutical manufacturers market HIV therapies to managed care organizations, according to the latest analysis from the health care consulting firm Scott-Levin.
''Almost all HIV therapies are on managed care formularies, or lists of approved drugs,'' said Joy Scott, chief executive officer of Scott-Levin.
But this is happening despite low promotion of the drugs by their manufacturers.
Promotion of HIV treatments to managed care has declined 74 percent since spring 1996, when many of the newer-generation HIV drugs were being launched.
The reason is that many managed care companies leave HIV therapy decisions to individual physicians because HMOs don't yet have guidelines for treating the disease. HMOs and other managed care organizations are sensitive to potential criticism about withholding lifesaving therapy.
One pharmacy executive at a leading managed care organization explained: ''Treatment of HlV has traditionally been customized to the patients. Until recently, there was no clearly defined 'best therapy.'''
However, in July 1997, the U.S. government released HIV treatment guidelines intended to standardize and improve the quality of care for patients. These guidelines recommend treating HIV early with an aggressive triple drug regimen consisting of a combination of two nucleotide inhibitors and one protease inhibitor.
There are currently four protease inhibitors on the market for HIV: Merck's Crixivan, Abbott's Norvir, Roche's Invirase and the latest entry, Agouron's Viracept.
The nucleotide inhibitors include Glaxo Wellcome's Epivir and Retrovir, Bristol-Myers Squibb's Videx and Zerit, Roche's Hivid, Pharmacia & Upjohn's Rescriptor, and Roxane's Viramune.
The most promoted HIV therapy to managed care in spring 1997 was Viracept, according to Scott-Levin's Managed Care Pharmacy Executive Promotional Audit. During this time period, Agouron account personnel focused on introducing Viracept to managed care and ensuring that it would become part of a managed care organization's benefit design. Outcomes studies were also presented.
Crixivan recorded the second-highest level of promotion to managed care executives in spring 1997. Merck's sales force reviewed distribution methods and federal recommendations on occupational HIV exposure. Crixivan's formulary placement was also discussed.
Results from Scott-Levin's fall 1997 Managed Care Pharmacy Executive Promotional Audit will soon be available.
''It will be interesting to see if the new HIV guidelines have had any effect on managed care promotion,'' said Scott.
According to Scott-Levin's HIV Therapy Audit, 363,640 U.S. patients sought treatment for HIV in the third quarter of 1997. More than two-thirds of those patients received triple antiretroviral therapy (70 percent), followed by dual therapy (23 percent), quadruple therapy (5 percent) and single-drug therapy (2 percent).
For more information, contact Kathy Carlson or Rob Houghton at 800/982-5613; email@scottlevin.com.
Scott-Levin, a subsidiary of PMSI/Scott-Levin Inc., provides consulting and communications services to pharmaceutical companies worldwide. |
