Dive Brief:
- In its third quarter earnings call on November 1, Pfizer touted the solid performance of Ibrance (palbociclib) since its U.S. launch in February 2015. But Pfizer Chairman and CEO Ian Read also acknowledged "a tempering" in new market-share growth.
- According to Read, total scripts for Ibrance continue to grow, and Pfizer's focus is on reaching additional patients with HR+/HER2-metastatic breast cancer now getting chemotherapy or hormone replacement therapy.
- Pfizer said it anticipates making marketing gains for Ibrance among physicians when its "dedicated breast cancer field force" is able to detail the strong data in its Phase 3 PALOMA-2 study, due out by year's end.
Dive Insight:
Ibrance "remains the market leader" for treating first-line hormone receptor positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-2 negative metastatic breast cancer, Read said, adding that the Phase 3 study's soon-to-be-released data "should allow us to achieve greater penetration into related physicians, many of whom are potentially high prescribers for our brands."
Yet, competitors are busy with other options. On the same day as Pfizer's earnings call, Novartis announced that the Food and Drug Administration had granted priority review for LEE011 (ribociclib) as first-line treatment of postmenopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer, in combination with letrozole -- setting up ribociclib to be the second CDK 4/6 inhibitor to hit the market behind Ibrance.
Some analysts worry that safety concerns following reports of drug-related liver damage, mild cardiac arrhythmias and a sudden death could hamper ribociclib's application, but Novartis has said it believes ribociclib to be best-in-class.
In fact, Pfizer stressed Ibrance's safety during its earnings call, specifically noting it hasn't seen issues with elevated liver tests or cardiovascular or gastrointestinal issues related to the drug. "It's viewed as an effective really well-tolerated therapy, and has had a profile for bones and metastatic breast cancer patients that has been great, and we see the profile being very suitable for also early breast cancer and many other indications," one Pfizer exec told analysts. Since its launch, Ibrance has been prescribed by 8,500-plus physicians reaching more than 40,000 patients, another Pfizer exec noted, attributing the rapid uptake to Ibrance's "efficacy and its outstanding safety and tolerability profile."