Neurocrine Biosciences has shared survey data showing how tardive dyskinesia (TD) affects the ability of patients and caregivers to work, supporting the company’s case for timely treatment of the movement disorder.
San Diego-based Neurocrine markets Ingrezza, a VMAT2 inhibitor that generated $2.3 billion in revenue last year across indications including TD. Drugs, including antipsychotics, cause TD. The American Psychiatric Association recommends that patients with moderate-to-severe or disabling TD associated with antipsychotic drugs receive a VMAT2 inhibitor. Neurocrine estimates that 1 in 10 TD patients are treated with VMAT2 inhibitors.
The biotech tasked Ipsos with evaluating the impact of TD on people’s work lives, leading to a survey of 59 patients and 19 caregivers. Ipsos found 12 patients quit their jobs primarily because of TD symptoms, and 19 patients reported changing their work responsibilities in response to the movement disorder.
In the week before starting TD treatment, the patients reported missing an average of eight hours of work or school. Many caregivers said that a loved one’s untreated TD symptoms disrupted their work. The findings reinforce the importance of routine screening for TD so that appropriate treatment can be considered, Sanjay Keswani, M.D., Neurocrine’s chief medical officer, said in a statement.
Neurocrine shared the survey data during Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. Data indicate the need for increased awareness, with Neurocrine quoting the statistic that about 60% of TD cases are undiagnosed.
The extent of the untapped opportunity informs Neurocrine’s belief that it can continue to grow Ingrezza sales after the Inflation Reduction Act-enforced price cut for Teva’s rival drug, Austedo, takes effect next year. The market is very promotionally sensitive, Neurocrine CEO Kyle Gano, Ph.D., said at a TD Cowen event in March, and the awareness initiatives underway at both companies are driving diagnosis.
Continued high expenses from Ingrezza promotional activities could become more of a burden on the business in the future, BMO Capital Markets analysts said in a note to investors in February. The analysts warned Austedo-related pricing pressures could weigh on Neurocrine in the back half of the decade, although the company’s recent deal to buy Soleno Therapeutics for $2.9 billion could soften the impact.