BioTrends Release: EU5 Nephrologists Report a Stabilization of Phosphate Binder Treatment Prevalence in the Late-Stage CKD and Dialysis Patient Populations

EXTON, Penn., Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BioTrends Research Group, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for specialized biopharmaceutical issues, finds the following key results, according to a recent BioTrends' report, ChartTrends: Bone and Mineral Metabolism in Chronic Kidney Disease - Non-Dialysis (CKD-ND) and Dialysis, which contains data from 962 EU5 dialysis patient charts and 928 EU5 CKD-ND patient charts:

• On average, nephrologists in the EU5 countries indicate that they are managing slightly over 100 dialysis patients and over 200 Stage 3 and 4 CKD-ND patients
• In all countries, the general practitioner is the most common referral source to the nephrologist, accounting for 40-60 percent of all nephrology patient referrals
• Phosphate binder treatment prevalence in both the dialysis and CKD-ND has remained consistent over time
• Approximately 73 percent of nephrologists report that they initiate binders when dialysis patients are above the phosphorus level at which the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines recommend, clearly indicating that more education is needed
• As is the case in the United States market, calcium and non-calcium binders generally split the phosphate binder market. However, Fosrenol (Shire) use is higher in the EU5 compared to the U.S. and as well, use of sevelamer's (Sanofi Renal) powder formulation is higher in the EU5 compared to the U.S.
• Prevalence of Nutritional Vitamin D treatment in dialysis patients appears to be increasing across both dialysis modalities, with currently over 30 percent of dialysis patients treated in 2012
• Physicians' choice of Active Vitamin D varies by EU5 country, with U.K. and French physicians choosing alfacalcidol most often in both their dialysis and CKD-ND patients, German and Italian physicians choosing calcitriol most often and Spanish physicians choosing paricalcitol (Abbott's Zemplar) most often
• Mimpara (Amgen) use in the EU5 countries has remained consistent over time

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"While phosphate binder treatment prevalence has remained consistent from the prior year, we are now seeing patient share changes with regards to the brands and formulations, especially as it relates to sevelamer and Fosrenol," said Rob Dubman, BioTrends' Director of Nephrology.

ChartTrends®: Bone and Mineral Metabolism in Dialysis and CKD-ND (EU5) is a syndicated report series, in which 210 nephrologists provided patient chart data on 962 dialysis patients in the EU5 and 191 nephrologists provided patient chart data on 928 CKD-ND patients in the EU5 in the most recent wave of research to uncover the actual management related to bone and mineral metabolism. Through an in-depth review of patient charts, details such as product dosing and titration, switching, concomitant medications, and a host of laboratory and patient demographic variables help define patient types and identify therapy triggers.

The study also evaluated referral patterns, co-morbidities, blood transfusions, hospitalizations and a host of other patient demographics and laboratory data. BioTrends is publishing ChartTrends: Bone and Mineral Metabolism in dialysis later this year in the US. Additional ChartTrends reports have been published in China and Latin America (Brazil, Argentina and Mexico).

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SOURCE BioTrends Research Group