Research Highlights: Oncology and Diabetes
Data Download provides highlights of recently released data from GfK HealthCare. This month's selection covers research conducted in the areas of oncology and diabetes.
Click on the headlines below:
Majority of Physicians Using Herceptin as Key Therapy for Gastric Cancer, But Satisfaction With Treatment Options Remains Low
Unmet needs in market remain wide open; only one-fifth of physicians report being “truly satisfied” with current gastric cancer therapies
In just over a month following the FDA’s October 2010 approval of Roche’s Herceptin for HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer, more than 80 percent of U.S. physicians report using the drug, according to new research by GfK HealthCare. However, the research study also shows that physicians are not truly satisfied with current treatment options for gastric cancer, including Herceptin.
According to GfK Research Matters’ (a subsidiary of GfK HealthCare) 2010 Gastric Cancer Treatment Tracker, 25 percent of physicians began using Herceptin for treatment of gastric cancer following FDA approval; about 60 percent of physicians began using Herceptin prior to approval; and, finally, the remaining 15 percent of physicians will consider using Herceptin for this indication from 2011 on.
However, up against the reported widespread use of Herceptin, physicians participating in GfK’s research study also expressed a high unmet need present in first-line treatment options for metastatic gastric cancer, including Herceptin. Less than 20 percent of physicians said they were “truly satisfied” with the outcomes of therapies currently on the market, pointing to major opportunities for pharmaceutical manufacturers in this treatment area.
“These results are surprising, especially when compared with satisfaction seen in other dynamic and difficult-to-treat indications, such as non-small cell lung cancer,” said Petra Maertens, director of oncology syndicated studies for GfK HealthCare. “The next wave of the study, to be conducted at the end of this year, will hopefully show that once oncologists have gained more experience with Herceptin, some of the current unmet needs will be fulfilled.”
More Than 100 Oncologists Provide Insights Into Gastric Cancer
Reflecting insights from 102 U.S. oncologists and hematologists/oncologists, fielded via Internet questionnaire in December 2010, GfK Research Matters’ 2010 Gastric Cancer Treatment Tracker provides analysis and insights into the gastric cancer market from the perspective of treating oncologists and gives answers to why physicians treat gastric cancer patients the way they do. The study researches the dynamics of the current treatment of gastric cancer, while also tracking the changing use and likely potential use of different treatments (and specific brands).
Contact: Petra Maertens, Director, Syndicated Research, Oncology
Learn More About GfK HealthCare's Oncology Expertise
We encourage you to join GfK HealthCare and other industry colleagues at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Meeting from June 3-7 in Chicago.
Stop by booth #5101 to learn more about GfK’s substantial expertise in oncology and meet with the following professional staff:
Andrea Fricker, International Project Manager
Michael Goeren, Business Development Manager
Portia Gordon, Vice President
Petra Maertens, Director
Jessica Makovsky, Vice Preisdent, Global Communications
Chris Naegle, Senior Vice President
Jonathan Singh, International Project Assistant
Chantal Savelkouls, Director |
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Diabetes Population in Urban China Shows Considerable Growth in Last Decade, Overtaking the U.S. in Patient Numbers
Trends Indicate Increasing Use of Insulin Therapy in China, Doubling Figures Over the Past Decade
In the past decade, the urban diabetes population in China has grown considerably, according to new research by GfK HealthCare’s Roper Global Diabetes Group. The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes has increased by more than 40 percent and the population is now projected at almost 23 million diagnosed patients compared with fewer than 9 million in 2001. This makes urban China the largest diabetes patient market in the world, overtaking the U.S. diabetes patient population, which currently stands at 20 million.
According to the 2011 Roper Global Diabetes Patient Study for China, although oral agents continue to be the most widespread medications prescribed for treatment, the use of insulin in China has more than doubled in the last decade, standing at 34 percent, compared with 15 percent in 2001. The study also revealed that insulin is most often administered by patients themselves (72 percent), although there is still a high degree of dependence on a third party for administration (friend, relative or health care provider).
The most widely used insulin is a pre-mix, used by 67 percent of insulin users in China. The great majority of insulin users (83 percent) inject with reusable pens, the use of which has almost doubled since 2001, when 43 percent of users employed this device.
In the non-insulin sector, GfK’s study revealed the use of oral medication (OAA) as the dominant therapy in China, with 53 percent of patients treated exclusively with orals. Sulfonylureas remain the most frequently prescribed class (although in significant decline) by health care providers in China, who prescribe them to 44 percent of exclusive pill users. This is followed by the use of drugs in the biguanide class, which are prescribed to 35 percent of exclusive pill users.
Blood glucose self-testing (includes testing by relatives/friends) has significantly increased in China, where 65 percent of patients self-test – a marked increase from 25 percent in 2001. However, frequency of testing is very low when compared with markets such as the U.S. and Western Europe. On average, patients are testing only once every two days, compared with the twice-a-day frequency recommendation by health care professionals. It is worth noting that cost may be a limiting factor to testing, as compared to the more developed markets, since most patients in China have to pay for their testing meters and strips.
600 Diabetes Patients Share Their Insights
Reflecting insights from 606 diabetes patients in China, fielded via in-depth face-to-face interviews in the last quarter of 2010, GfK HealthCare’s Roper Global Diabetes Group’s 2011 Patient Study for China provides comprehensive perspectives of the country’s diabetes market. The study offers comparable data back to 1996, across diabetes markets in 25 total countries.
Contact: Ian Pike, Director, Roper Global Diabetes Group
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