Just how satisfied are rheumatologists with the drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Are they more loyal to specific brands? How does that affect market share for drug manufacturers? Those are a few of the many questions asked and answered in a new set of reports from FirstView.
Available in mid-December 2015, FirstView's NPS+ Rheumatoid Arthritis reports for the US and top 5 European markets (EU5: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) explore loyalty among prescribing rheumatologists for eight brands commonly used to treat RA: Actemra/RoActemra, Cimzia, Enbrel, Humira, Orencia, Remicade, Rituxan/MabThera, and Simponi.
Reports Explore Loyalty for RA brands, Highlight Brand Health Issues
The reports use the highly respected Net Promoter Score as the foundation for a deeper, more detailed look at brand loyalty and the impact of recommendations from rheumatologists. The US report is based on a survey of 100 US rheumatologists, while the EU5 report is based on a survey of 150 European rheumatologists.
Manufacturers can use the data in these reports to gain a better understanding of their brands' health, and how to improve it.
European Rheumatologists Less Satisfied with RA Brands
Although overall satisfaction with RA treatments is high in both the US and Europe, the reports show that European rheumatologists are somewhat less satisfied with the surveyed brands. NPS scores are consistent with that finding — with US rheumatologists giving positive scores to six of the eight brands surveyed, and their European counterparts giving positive scores to fewer than half. Mean brand loyalty is also slightly lower in Europe.
Rheumatologists Switch Brands Freely
The reports suggest a market where rheumatologists will readily switch brands, but only if needed. Long-standing, well-promoted first-line treatments score higher than other brands. But Promoters and Detractors of every brand surveyed tend to promote a large number of other brands as well. This may reflect an issue commonly seen in RA treatment: as first-line products fail, rheumatologists switch brands until they see positive results.
Market Share: Most Brands in the "Long Tail"
The reports also show a so-called long tail for market share among brand Promoters and Detractors. While a few brands have sizeable shares of the market, the rest rarely exceed 10 percent, even among Promoters.
Clinical Concerns Trump Costs
Data related to the promotional messages that rheumatologists associate with brands show that clinical attributes such as safety and efficacy drive more recommendations than cost effectiveness for nearly all brands surveyed. In tandem with the reports' brand DNA sections, these data give manufacturers clues about the perceptions that drive brand loyalty, which can help them better address rheumatologists' key concerns.
Full Reports Now Available
The full survey results are now available in FirstView's NPS+ Rheumatoid Arthritisreports for the US and Europe.
