Conclusion: The clear leader for hemophilia A patients with factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors, Hemlibra (emicizumab, Roche) also brings competitive heft to the larger, more crowded, space of hemophilia A without inhibitors. Combining improved efficacy and convenience, Hemlibra offers significant clinical innovation over the current standard of care (SOC), Advate (Shire).
First approved in November 2017, Hemlibra is well positioned within the hemophilia A market. For patients with inhibitors, it wins in a landslide when compared to bypassing agents such as recombinant activated factor VII (NovoSeven®, Novo Nordisk). Among this small group, Hemlibra substantially reduces cost and administration frequency in addition to improving efficacy.
But how does Hemlibra look in the much larger (and more brand-loyal) population of patients without inhibitors, an indication Hemlibra won in October 2018?
Compared to Advate, the current SOC among patients without inhibitors, Hemlibra shows meaningful improvements in efficacy, tolerability, and convenience, leading to an 8.7% reduction in unmet medical need, as seen in the waterfall chart. While Advate requires at least three IV bolus administrations a week, Hemlibra can be given as a weekly subcutaneous injection with better outcomes in annualized bleeding rate and in the proportion of patients experiencing zero bleeds per year.
So far, Hemlibra sales have backed analysts’ high expectations. Hemlibra brought in $224 million in 2018 revenue and looks to claim an even larger market share in hemophilia A patients, both with and without FVIII inhibitors, moving forward.
Our analysis combined clinical trial data from both Hemlibra and Advate prescribing information labels as well as the HAVEN 3 study.