Combo drugs strong in the COPD treatment market

GSK and BI stand out in the combo market

Sales of LAMA+LABA combo rise 11% YoY… records KRW 10.3 billion in prescriptions

Domestic and international COPD treatment guidelines also recommend the prescription of combination therapy... increases the momentum

The growth of the combination drugs was notable in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment market in Q3 this year.

 

With major COPD treatment guidelines recommending a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) and long-acting beta2 agonist (LABA), the prescription trend appears to have shifted toward combination drugs.

 

In particular, the growth of the LAMA+LABA combination drugs owned by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) had stood out.

 

Presciptions of LAMA+LABA combos (Source: UBIST).

According to the market research institution UBIST on the 23rd, the amount of outpatient prescriptions for LAMA+LABA combination drugs in Q3 amounted to KRW 10.3 billion.

 

This is a 10.8% YoY increase from last year.

 

The bronchodilators LAMA and LABA are used to improve lung function in COPD patients.

 

Anoro, a LAMA+LABA combination drug developed by GSK, recorded KRW 5.5 billion in prescriptions in Q3 this year, a 17.0% YoY increase compared to the same period of last year.

 

Anoro’s sales have been steadily increasing since 2018, recording over KRW 10 billion every year.

 

Anoro is a LAMA+LABA combination drug that was first released on the market in 2015.

 

Boehringer Ingelheim's Vahelva's prescriptions rose 11.5% YoY to record KRW 2.9 billion, contributing to the rise in prescriptions in the LAMA+LABA combination drug market.

 

Prescriptions of major LAMA+LABA COPD treatments (Source: UBIST)

On the other hand, single-agent drug prescriptions had slowed down.

 

Onbrez, a LABA single-agent drug developed by Novartis, was prescribed only worth KRW 130 million in Q3 this year.

 

Onbrez’s sales have not exceeded KRW 1 billion in annual sales ever since 2021.

 

Sales of LAMA single-agent drugs also showed a downward trend.

 

Prescriptions of Boehringer Ingelheim's Spiriva increased to KRW 2.7 billion in Q3 this year.

 

This is a 28.9% decrease from the KRW 3.8 billion recorded in the same period last year.

 

GSK's Incruise also recorded KRW 970 million in Q3, down 30.7% YoY.

 

Prescriptions of LAMA+LABA combinations are on the rise because of their effectiveness.

 

In clinical trials that were conducted on COPD patients, combination drugs improved lung function by more than 2 times compared to single-agent drugs.

 

Favorable results were also observed in major indicators such as lung function and shortness of breath.

 

Analysts also have suggested that the COPD treatment guidelines have also contributed to the increase in prescriptions for LAMA+LABA combination drugs.

 

The updated 2023 COPD treatment guidelines by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), prioritized the use of LAMA+LABA combinations.

 

GOLD recommended LABA+LAMA combination therapy or combination drugs for COPD treatment rather than LABA or LAMA monotherapy.

 

The ICS + LABA combination therapy, which was previously recommended for treatment when the blood eosinophil count was over 300, was replaced by the LABA + LAMA + ICS combination therapy.

 

The domestic COPD treatment guidelines also recommend prior use of LABA+LAMA combination drugs.