EAST HANOVER, N.J., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Pulmonologists (PUDs) expect to be writing 50% of their COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) prescriptions for the Spiriva(R) HandiHaler(R) -- the new powder inhaler bronchodilator from Pfizer and Boehringer Ingelheim, launched in May 2004. According to new research from NOP World Health, PUDs consider Spiriva’s once-a-day dosing a critical advantage that will lead to higher patient compliance and improved quality of life.
Even before its introduction, PUDs were enthusiastic about Spiriva. Pre-launch awareness of Spiriva was extremely high, with PUDs expressing a strong interest in prescribing the new brand, as soon as it launched. The likelihood to adopt new products quickly is typical among PUDs, half of whom say they’ll try a new COPD treatment, as soon as it’s approved and commercially available.
Primary care physicians are also enthusiastic about Spiriva, anticipating they will write about a third of their COPD prescriptions for the new agent. They are somewhat more cautious than PUDs, however, with the majority indicating they will wait to use a new drug until their peers have tried it successfully.
Physicians Are Dissatisfied with Other COPD Therapies
Physicians’ willingness to try Spiriva may be driven by their dissatisfaction with other available COPD therapies. PUDs are even less satisfied than primary care physicians, most likely because they see the most severely affected patients. In fact, only 10% of PUDs are satisfied with other COPD therapies -- and just 4% believe that their patients are satisfied.
“The COPD market holds significant opportunity for pharmaceutical manufacturers, since it’s so open to new products,” says Andrea McDonough, Senior Director of Market Events at NOP World Health. “It has all the attributes that support the success of new introductions-including dissatisfaction with current therapies among both physicians and patients and doctors’ willingness to adopt new therapies quickly.”
Physicians Will Use Spiriva with Severe COPD Patients
Spiriva will see most of its growth among the more severe COPD patients, where doctors believe it will be effective. Physicians anticipate trying to switch about 40% of their COPD patients now on nebulizers to a once-a-day powder inhaler -- a major show of support for Spiriva.
200 Physicians Share Their Reactions to Spiriva
NOP World Health’s insights into Spiriva are based on a self-administered Internet survey of 200 physicians-75 general and family practitioners, 75 internal medicine specialists and 50 PUDs. To qualify, primary care physicians had to treat at least 20 COPD patients per month, while PUDs had to treat at least 40 COPD patients per month. NOP World Health conducted the survey from June 1 - 3, 2004.
About NOP World Health ...
A leading supplier of primary research to the global healthcare community, NOP World Health is the health-focused arm of NOP World -- a top-ten market research power worldwide. Bringing together some of the most renowned US and European research firms in a unified global network, NOP World is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based United Business Media plc .
NOP World Health was formed in February by integrating three healthcare research leaders: Market Measures/Cozint, the premier supplier of US market and disease state analyses ... NOP Healthcare, UK-domestic and international quantitative and qualitative ad hoc consultancy and omnibus services ... and Strategic Marketing Corporation, the leader in strategic problem solving and consulting.
About United Business Media plc ...
United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/) is a leading provider of business-to-business media solutions. Its products and services help companies around the world meet their market information needs. In addition to NOP World, UBM’s businesses include PR Newswire, the world’s leading news distribution service and CMP, the business-to-business media and exhibition group operating in focused market sectors, such as hi-tech, healthcare, property, entertainment, jewelry and fashion in the US, UK, Asia and Europe.
Contact Information ...
For more information on NOP World Health’s Physician Reactions to the Approval and Launch of Spiriva, please contact Andrea McDonough at 609-683-6364 or amcdonough@nopworld.com.
For more information on NOP World Health, visit our Web site at http://www.nopworld.com/, or contact Ilene Siegalovsky, Senior Vice President of Marketing, at 800-456-4405, ext. 3515 or isiegalovsky@nopworld.com.
NOP World Health
CONTACT: Ilene Siegalovsky, 1-800-456-4405, ext. 3515, for NOP WorldHealth
