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Seventy Percent of Newly Diagnosed Alzheimer's Disease Patients Do Not Receive Treatment Within a Year of Diagnosis

Posted on: Monday, 23 February 2009, 07:00 CST

Surveyed Physicians Project a Robust Uptake of Disease-Modifying Therapies in Early Lines of Treatment, According to a New Report from Decision Resources

WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that 70.7 percent of newly diagnosed Alzheimer's disease patients do not receive treatment within a year of being diagnosed. The reasons for this are due to their denial, preference for no drug therapy, concerns about cost or the side-effect and safety risks associated with drug treatment. The new report entitled Treatment Algorithms in Alzheimer's Disease finds that while surveyed neurologists primarily attribute their decision not to prescribe treatment for newly diagnosed Alzheimer's disease patients to patient prerogatives, surveyed primary care physicians (PCPs) also cite presence of mild disease as a factor to delay drug treatment.

The report also finds that surveyed neurologists and PCPs both keenly anticipate the integration of disease-modifying therapies into Alzheimer's disease treatment; 72 percent of surveyed neurologists and 63 percent of surveyed PCPs report that they are "very likely" or "likely" to prescribe disease-modifying therapies first line upon their launch. However, uptake of a given disease-modifying therapy will be strongly modulated by its safety profile, as an agent with a risk for more severe side effects is likely to be prescribed primarily by neurologists.

"Surveyed PCPs' enthusiasm exists despite the fact that only eight percent of them are aware of any one of the potential disease-modifiers, such as Elan/Wyeth's bapineuzumab, that are expected to launch by 2012," said Madhuri Borde, Ph.D., analyst at Decision Resources. "In contrast, 45 percent of surveyed neurologists know of bapineuzumab, and 65 percent of this group believes that they will prescribe the drug if it is approved."

About Treatment Algorithm Insight Series

Decision Resources combines in-depth primary research with the most extensive claims-based longitudinal patient-level data from IMS Lifelink: Health Plans Claims database to provide exceptional insight into physicians' prescribing trends and the factors that drive therapy product choice, from diagnosis through multiple courses of treatment, for a specific disease.

About Decision Resources

Decision Resources (www.decisionresources.com) is a world leader in market research publications, advisory services and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources and master their chosen markets. Decision Resources is a Decision Resources, Inc. company.

About Decision Resources, Inc.

Decision Resources, Inc. is a cohesive portfolio of companies that offers best-in-class, high-value information and insights on important sectors of the healthcare industry. Clients rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions. Please visit Decision Resources, Inc. at www.DecisionResourcesInc.com.

All company, brand or product names contained in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information, contact: Natalia Morales Elizabeth Marshall Decision Resources Decision Resources, Inc. 781-296-2691 781-296-2563 nmorales@dresources.com emarshall@dresources.com

SOURCE Decision Resources

Source: PR Newswire

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