CDK4/6 inhibitor mkt fluctuates with the rise of Kisqali

Kisqali vs Ibrance

Sales of latecomer Novartis’ Kisqali nears Ibrance’s sales in Q3

Lilly’s Verzenio’s sales also rise continuously…secured benefits with long-term follow-up data

The CDK4/6 inhibitor market for breast cancer has changed from a monopoly to a duopoly in Korea.

 

Kisqali, which had been introduced later into the market, has nearly caught up with Ibrance's sales.

 

According to the market research institution IQVIA on the 24th, sales of Novartis’s Kisqali had risen 95.2% YoY to reach KRW 12.1 billion in Q3 this year.

 

During the same period, Pfizer’s Ibrance posted sales of KRW 12.3 billion, down 12.1% YoY from the KRW 14 billion it posted in Q3 last year.

 

The cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors selectively inhibit the CDK4(cyclin-dependent kinase 4) and CDK6(cyclin-dependent kinase 6) enzymes that regulate cell division and cell growth to block the proliferation of tumor cells.

 

These are mainly used to treat target hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

 

The drug that had opened the door to the market was ‘Ibrance (palbociclib),’ followed by ‘Kisqali (ribociclib),’ then Eli Lilly’s ‘Verzenio (abemaciclib).’

Sales of CDK 4/6 inhibitors

The latecomer Kisqali has made rapid sales growth ever since its release.

 

After posting sales of KRW 3 billion in Q3 2021, the drug recorded sales of KRW 6.2 billion in Q3 last year, showing a 106.6% increase.

 

Kisqali’s sales exceeded KRW 10 billion for the first time in Q2 this year.

 

The fact that Kisqali is the first CDK4/6 inhibitor to be indicated for premenopausal women contributed to its rapid growth.

 

According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, Kisqali is the only CDK4/6 inhibitor recommended as Category 1 for the first-line treatment of HR+/HER2- pre-and post-menopausal breast cancer patients.

 

Previously, Ibrance, which was the first CDK4/6 inhibitor to be released, monopolized the market.

 

As the only treatment option, it solely enjoyed sales of KRW 25.3 billion in 2018 and then KRW 43.7 billion in 2019.

 

However, its sales had started to decline in Q1 2022 with the entry of latecomers such as Kisqali and Verzenio into the market.

 

Ibrance recorded sales of KRW 16.1 billion in Q4 2021, which fell 10.4% to KRW 14.4 billion in Q1 2022.

 

Its sales continued to falter to reach KRW 12.3 billion in Q3 this year.

 

This is the lowest sales record since the KRW 12.4 billion it had posted in Q4 2019.

 

It is a 27.2% decrease from the KRW 16.9 billion it had made in Q3 2021.

 

Last July, Ibrance’s indication was also changed to allow for use in pre-menopausal women like Kisqali, but the change did not have a significant impact on improving performance.

 

On the other hand, Verzenio is showing steady growth in sales.

 

Verzenio's sales in Q3 this year were KRW 6.5 billion, a 103.1% YoY increase compared to the KRW 3.2 billion raised in the same period last year.

 

Verzenio’s sales have continued on an upward trend since recording KRW 2.5 billion in Q2 2021.

 

In Q2 this year, Verzenio’s sales exceeded KRW 5 billion.

 

Verzenio’s strength lies in how it has secured differentiated indications compared to its competitors.

 

Verzenio is the only CDK4/6 inhibitor in Korea that can be used to treat patients with early breast cancer.

 

Also, the company succeeded in securing new data for Verzenio.

 

It presented the results of the 5-year long-term follow-up monarchE study at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2023 (ESMO 2023) held last month.

 

In the study, Verzenio succeeded in improving key endpoints compared to endocrine therapy alone.