The sales of Prolia & Evenity exceed ₩100 billion

Amgen has dominated the osteoporosis market

Last year, Prolia's sales amounted to ₩ 92.1 billion, close to blockbuster drugs

Evenity's sales surged from ₩3.8 billion to ₩12.3 billion

From the left, Amgen Prolia and Evenity

Amgen has opened an era of 100 billion won in the osteoporosis treatment market.

 

Sales of the two products are increasing rapidly as sequential treatments leading to Evenity-Prolia are being put forward.

 

According to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical research institute, sales of Amgen's osteoporosis treatment, Denosumab, stood at 92.1 billion won last year, up 22.7% from 75.1 billion won a year earlier.

 

Sales of another treatment, Evenity, increased 220.3% from 3.8 billion won in 2020 to 12.3 billion won last year.

 

The total sales of the two products amounted to 104.4 billion won.

 

Amgen introduced Prolia in Korea through GSK in 2014 and has been devoted to the osteoporosis treatment market by recovering its copyright in 2016.

 

By actively selling Prolia in partnership with Chong Kun Dang, sales surged from 3.7 billion won in 2017 to 14.3 billion won in 2018 and 47.3 billion won in 2019.

 

Prolia, which entered the 70 billion won range in 2020, reached 92.1 billion won last year, approaching the entry of 100 billion won blockbuster drugs.

 

Prolia, a bone absorption inhibitor, has become the first standard treatment therapy for osteoporosis with superior effect and convenience of administration than the previously widely used bisphosphonate (BP).

 

Bisphosphonate formulations are tricky, such as taking sufficient amounts of water and not lying down for at least 30 minutes after taking them on an empty stomach 1-2 hours before meals.

 

In addition, it was difficult for patients to continuously take medicine because side effects such as gastrointestinal disorders could occur when used for a long time.

 

Prolia only needs to be administered once every six months.

 

Even after 10 years of long-term treatment, the effect of continuous bone density improvement and consistent safety profile were confirmed.

 

As Prolia has become a standard treatment, all BP drugs are on the decline.

 

Lilly's Forsteo, once called the strongest in the market, saw its sales fall 24.8% from 17.1 billion won in 2020 to 12.9 billion won last year.

 

During the same period, Daewoong Pharmaceutical's Dowong Zoledronic Acid Inj also fell 12.9% from 11.2 billion won to 9.8 billion won.

 

MSD's Fosamax products maintained sales from 12.2 billion won to 12.1 billion won.

 

Amgen's new osteoporosis treatment Evenity approved in June 2019 is also cruising.

 

Evenity, which raised 3.8 billion won in 2020, has been listed since last year and surpassed 10 billion won at once.

 

Evenity is the first osteoporosis treatment that has both the effect of "promoting bone formation" and "suppressing bone absorption." It is a mechanism that stimulates mature osteoblasts and promotes bone formation by activating tissue osteoblasts, while also acts as a regulator of osteoblasts to suppress bone absorption.

 

AACE/ACE recommend using Evenity from the initial treatment of ultra-high risk groups with a high risk of fracture.

 

Amgen is proposing a "sequential treatment" strategy that treats patients with high risk of fracture with Prolia after one year of treatment with Evenity.

 

By emphasizing the importance of continuous treatment of osteoporosis, it is intended to establish an environment in which patients can be treated with Prolia for a long time.

 

Domestic societies such as the KSBMR are also carrying out various activities such as policy symposiums and revision of medical guidelines to improve awareness of osteoporosis.

 

It is also worth noting whether Prolia and Evenity will expand their benefit range.

 

Currently, the administration period of osteoporosis drugs is based on the bone density level of T-Score.

 

Benefits are recognized only for patients with T-Score -2.5 or less.

 

If the level is higher than -2.5 in follow-up observation one year after administration of the treatment, the salary is no longer recognized.

 

Evenity can also be reimbursed when bisphosphonate is used first and then used as a secondary drug, especially T-Score -2.5 or less and two or more osteoporosis fractures must be met.

 

In response, it is pointed out that Evenity should be used as the primary drug and improved so that it can be used even if a fracture occurs once.

 

If the standards of Prolia and Evenity are expanded in the future, the two products are expected to face another turning point in sales.