PND66 RECENT EVOLUTION OF THE MARKET FOR DISEASE-MODIFYING DRUGS FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IN CANADA

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressive neurological disease, which at present cannot be cured. MS rates in Canada are among the highest reported worldwide. Disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) are used to prevent disability and delay disease progression in MS patients. Fourteen DMDs are approved in Canada, of which three (peginterferon beta-1a, ocrelizumab, and cladribine) entered the market since 2015. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Canadian market for DMDs since 2015. Data on retail prescriptions and on drugstore and hospital purchases of DMDs in Canada were obtained from IQVIA. Numbers of prescriptions and purchases (in $Can) were collected for 12-month periods ending February for the past five years (2015-2019). Total purchases of DMDs in Canada increased by 31%, from $447.8 million in the 12 months ending February 2015 to $585.0 million in the 12 months ending February 2019; during this period prescription activity increased by 16% (from 224,432 to 260,641). Glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide and dimethyl fumarate dominated the market, increasing from 47% of prescription activity combined in 2015 to 60% in 2019. In terms of purchases, in the 12 months ending February 2019 three oral DMDs were market leaders: dimethyl fumarate (17.4%), followed by fingolimod (16.2%), and teriflunomide (15.6%). Market shares of the three newest DMD entrants in Canada accounted for 7.2% of the value of DMD purchases (totalling $42.2 million) in the 12 months ending February 2019 but only 2.1% of prescriptions (totalling 5,507 prescriptions), reflecting the higher prices of these new therapies. DMDs represent a market of more than $585 million dollars in Canada. Market growth in terms of purchases compared to prescriptions reflects the strong uptake and higher prices of some of the newer MS therapies.