Prescribing Influences: Alzheimer's Disease - Alleviating symptoms remains the goal for prescribers

Introduction

Datamonitor conducted a survey of neurologists to ascertain the perceived level of unmet need in Alzheimer’s disease and to assess which factors have the greatest influence on prescribing decisions. As emerging disease-modifying therapies threaten to set a new benchmark, Datamonitor has gauged the relative importance of slowing disease progression versus improving Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.

Features and benefits

• Understand the key unmet needs in Alzheimer’s disease treatment and their relative importance, as rated by neurologists.
• Review the recommendations of available Alzheimer’s disease treatment guidelines.
• Understand the patient care pathway, and how it can be influenced to drive ethical drug purchase.
• Assess the marketing strategies of the leading companies in the Alzheimer’s disease market.
• Gauge the attributes of a drug that most influence physician prescribing behavior.

Highlights

Neurologists rated the call for an effective disease-modifying therapy as the greatest unmet need. Current drugs provide symptomatic benefit only, leaving the underlying neurodegeneration to continue unabated. The opportunity also exists for more effective drugs in treating the cognitive and functional deficits associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to sponsoring disease awareness campaigns, the key players in the Alzheimer’s disease market have been generating brand awareness by targeting caregivers. Companies with new reformulations on the market have switched their direct-to-consumer marketing focus to their latest products.

Efficacy on key Alzheimer’s disease symptoms such as cognitive and functional deficits was considered the primary factor when deciding upon a treatment. However, a new drug with symptomatic efficacy would need to be differentiated from the existing cholinesterase inhibitors for it to find widespread use.

Your key questions answered

• What are the most important unmet needs in Alzheimer’s disease treatment?
• How do different attributes of a drug’s profile influence neurologists’ prescribing decisions?
• How do Alzheimer’s disease patients progress through the care pathway and what do the treatment guidelines recommend?
• Which marketing strategies are most widely employed and have been the most successful?

Please note: this is delivered as a Zip file.