Survey: Endocrinologists would prescribe Bydureon for 20% of patients

BURLINGTON, Mass. — Endocrinologists would prescribe a newly approved weekly treatment for Type 2 diabetes to one-fifth of their patients, a new survey showed.

Healthcare market research firm Decision Resources announced the results of a survey of endocrinologists in the United States who said they would prescribe Bydureon (exenatide), made by Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Alkermes, to 20% of their patients. But taking into consideration the reimbursement hurdles and competition that the drug could face, the firm said Bydureon probably would earn a 2.6% share of the Type 2 diabetes market by 2020.

"However, we expect Bydureon will displace Victoza (liraglutide) and will earn our proprietary gold-standard status for Type 2 diabetes in 2015," Decision Resources analyst Christine Helliwell said, referring to a competing drug made by Novo Nordisk. "Bydureon has competitive advantages in efficacy, safety, tolerability and delivery."

The Food and Drug Administration approved Bydureon on Monday. The drug, a long-acting version of the injected drug Byetta, was developed under a partnership between Amylin and Eli Lilly & Co. that started in 2002 but that the companies dissolved in November 2011 after Lilly formed a similar diabetes drug partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim.

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