Sanofi and Regeneron’s positive patient-reported outcome (PRO) data, demonstrated as part of the RELIEVE-AD study last month, can be used to showcase the value that the companies’ drug Dupixent can bring to atopic dermatitis (AD) sufferers, says GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company highlights that presenting such data will help the companies remain market leaders for the next five to ten years.

Ramla Salad, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “AD is a highly prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease with key symptoms such as scratching, redness and scaling that affects patients across age groups, including children. GlobalData’s epidemiology data reveals that the disease impacts approximately 300 million people in the US.

“Sanofi & Regeneron announced that 75.5% of patients were satisfied with Dupixent—that’s a very powerful statistic, and can be used within their direct-to-consumer marketing. Being able to send a clear message that Dupixent is a patient-centred and effective product with a high level of satisfaction can only be a good thing for sales.”

Further, Dupixent’s effectiveness as a concomitant therapy could help simplify the AD treatment regimen.

Salad continues: “Once a diagnosis of AD has been made, patients and their dermatologists must establish a proper skincare regimen—usually by deciding on appropriate moisturizers and bathing routines. On top of these skincare regimens, topical corticosteroids (TCs) such as hydrocortisone or clobetasol propionate are often used as a first line of therapy. Topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs), such as tacrolimus and pimecrolimus, are used as a second line therapy for patients with poorly controlled disease.

“While basic skincare regimens combined with TCs and TCIs may be adequate for the treatment of patients with mild AD, additional therapeutic options may be needed for patients with moderate-to-severe disease. Treatment of this population of patients can differ slightly across the 7MM.The integration of Dupixent has simplified the treatment process and will continue to diversify the disease space.”

According to GlobalData, there are 14 AD drugs in the pipeline, including four biologics, five orals and five topicals.

Salad adds: “With an influx of novel therapies expected in both near-term and long-term, using PRO data will allow Sanofi and Regeneron to defend and differentiate their gold-standard biologic against increased competition in the AD space, allowing the company to draw on benefits shown in RELIEVE-AD.”