NOAC prescription market growth stagnates

Xarelto and Pradaxa volume drops for two to three years, Eliquis slips for the first time

Market volume increased by 3%, but stagnation is apparent, except for Lixiana

The novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) market seems to be plateauing after enjoying consistent two-digit growth for years.

 

The outpatient prescription market marked a growth of almost 20 percent until 2019, but the growth shrunk down to 3 percent last year.

 

Regardless of the decreased growth, Lixiana is still topping the market.

 

Except for the market leader, the prescription performance by Xarelto, Pradaxa and Eliquis have dropped.

 

The generics entering market seems to have critically affected Eliquis making a negative growth for the first time last year.

 

Its generics are expanding their market presence from the second quarter in 2019.

 

◆NOAC market grows 3 percent making 184.3 billion won According to pharmaceutical market research firm UBIST on Jan 25, overall the last year’s NOAC market generated 184.3 billion won with a growth of 3 percent from the year before.

 

The overall market volume expanded, but the growth was sluggish compared to previous years.

 

Since the launch of Xarelto in 2009, the NOAC market welcomed Pradaxa and Eliquis in 2013, as well as Lixiana in 2016.

 

Replacing the older generation anticoagulant warfarin, the NOAC rapidly got bigger.

 

In last six years, the NOAC market generated 34.5 billion won, 80 billion won, 114.9 billion won, 151.5 billion won, 179 billion won and 184.3 billion won in year 2015 through 2020, respectively.

 

Its streak of two-digit growth was crippled last year with 3 percent, after seeing 132 percent, 44 percent, 32 percent and 18 percent growth in 2016 through 2019, respectively.

 

◆Lixiana growth by 7 percent, when Xarelto, Eliquis and Pradaxa drop The market’s star items showed contrasting performance.

 

Only the prescription volume of Lixiana by Daiichi Sankyo expanded, when all three others underperformed.

 

Generating 59.9 billion won and 64 billion won in 2019 and 2020, respectively, the Lixiana prescription volume had a 7-percent growth.

 

The drug may have been the last to join the market, but it topped the market in 2019 and is still widening the gap with the runner-up.

 

The pharmaceutical industry analyzes the co-promotion deal signed with Daewoong Pharmaceutical is the key to the growth surge.

 

In December of 2015, right before the product launch, Daiichi Sankyo inked the Lixiana co-promotion contract with Daewoong Pharmaceutical.

 

The contract is still effective today.

 

Xarelto, on the other hand, had two consecutive years of negative growth.

 

Its prescription volume peaked in 2018 with 52 billion won, the volume has been on a downhill since 2019 making 50.8 billion won.

 

Last year the drug’s volume dropped again to 50 billion won.

 

The industry experts project it would go under 50 billion won this year.

 

Eliquis also continued to make growth until 2019, but it turned downward last year.

 

In year 2016 through 2020, the drug’s prescription volume hit 19.5 billion won, 30 billion won, 40.4 billion won, 49 billion won and 47.7 billion won, respectively.

 

The industry experts point out the generics is the culprit of the plateauing growth.

 

Since June last year, generic versions of Eliquis like Chong Kun Dang’s Liquisia, Yuhan’s Yuhan Apixaban, Samjin Pharm’s Elxaban, Hanmi Pharamceutical’s Apixban, Aju Pharm’s Eliban and YooYoung Pharmaceutical’s Yupix have been released to the NOAC market.

 

The total prescription volume of Eliquis generics surged from 1.2 billion won in 2019 to 8.3 billion won in 2020.

 

In last year, Liquisia, Elxaban and Yuhan Apixaban respectively generated 2.6 billion won, 1.7 billion won and 1.1 billion won.

 

Taking account of the inclining quarterly prescription volume, the experts project they would break through the 10 billion won mark this year.

 

Since 2016, Pradaxa’s prescription volume has been dropping.

 

The volume plummeted to 14.3 billion won last year.

 

Compared to 18.1 billion won in 2019, it took a 21-percent drop.

 

Boehringer Ingelheim signed a co-promotion deal with Boryung Pharmaceutical from 2018, but it has not been so effective.

 

◆Generic versions of Xarelto and Pradaxa ready for launch And in this year, Xarelto and Pradaxa’s generics are to be released to the market and accelerate the shift in the NOAC market.

 

Patent expiration dates for major NOACs

First, four companies that overcame NOAC Pradaxa’s patent are to release their generics early.

 

Intro Bio Pharma’s Dabican, Aju Pharm’s Dabitran, Jinyang Pharm’s Pradabi and Huon’s Hubitran are preparing for the launch.

 

The four companies won the patent dispute against the original drug company Boehringer Ingelheim in January 2019.

 

The obtained preferential sales rights are to last until April 2022.

 

Another NOAC, Xarelto is also expecting its generic versions—Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s Riroxban and SK Chemical’s SK Rivaroxaban—to emerge in October.

 

If Chong Kun Dang, successfully evades the product patent before Oct.

 

4, it would be able to market the product even before Hanmi Pharmaceutical and SK Chemical regardless of the preferential sales rights.