Decision Resources: Victoza may outpace Byetta

BURLINGTON, Mass. — Novo Nordisk could be outpacing Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals in the diabetes wars, according to an analysis by healthcare market research firm Decision Resources.

A recent report by the firm found that more patients were switching from Lilly and Amylin’s Byetta (exenatide) to Novo Nordisk’s Victoza (liraglutide) than vice versa, with 25.2% switching to Victoza and 2.8% switching to Byetta. Still, for the time being, Byetta commands a higher patient share. Between the first and last quarters of 2010, Byetta’s patient share fell from 4% to 3.2%, while Victoza’s increase from 0.1% to 1.8%.

“Use of both Byetta and Victoza is usually reserved for later lines of therapy,” Decision Resources analyst Kate Sullivan said. “The increasing use of Victoza is most likely a result of Victoza’s more convenient once-daily dosing and its greater HbA1c-lowering and weight-loss efficacy.”