Western European Diabetes Market Shows Movement to Exclusive Pill Therapy, According to Study by GfK Market Measures´ Roper Global Diabetes Group

For diabetes patients across the Western European countries of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom, exclusive pill therapy is increasingly the treatment of choice. And while the proportion of patients receiving no medication continues to decline, the use of insulin within the diabetes population remains relatively stable, according to new research from GfK Market Measures´ Roper Global Diabetes Group.

The proportion of diabetes patients on oral antidiabetic agents (OAA), either exclusively or as part of a combination therapy, has increased to 64 percent in 2008 from 54 percent in 2000, bringing the total number of OAA users in Western Europe to more than 10 million, based on a projected total diagnosed diabetes population of almost 16.5 million. Across the six countries, the proportion of patients on exclusive pill therapy is 55 percent, equivalent to almost 9 million patients, a substantial increase since 2000 when the figure was 48 percent. While the percentages vary by country, with penetration highest in France at 64 percent and lowest in Germany at 46 percent, exclusive pill therapy dominates in all markets. In countries where its share is below average, insulin use increases, which in turn is always higher than the percentage of diabetes patients on no medication.

Less than 15 percent of patients, or 2.5 million people, take no medication for their diabetes, a considerable decrease since 2000 when the figure was 22 percent. Thirty percent of patients use insulin, equivalent to just under 5 million people. Of these patients, two–thirds use insulin exclusively and one–third use insulin in combination with OAAs. Insulin use has remained stable since 2000 when 29 percent of patients reported its use.

GfK´s research shows that some countries are introducing OAAs earlier in the treatment pathway than previously. More than 75 percent of exclusive OAA patients were placed on diabetes pills at diagnosis, and it appears this percentage is gradually increasing in some countries. At 88 percent, the Netherlands has the most patients placed on exclusive pills at diagnosis. In contrast, at 55 percent, the United Kingdom places the fewest on exclusive pills as a first treatment.

Trends among new entrants - patients diagnosed within the past year - also account for increased pill use. The new entrants population in Western Europe has been increasing steadily, accounting for 8.1 percent of the diabetes population in 2008 compared with 4.4 percent in 2000. Likewise, exclusive pill prescribing for new entrants has increased considerably: 51 percent in 2008 compared with 36 percent in 2000.

Biguanides, especially metformin, remain the most popularly prescribed class of OAAs for exclusive pill users. Used by 62 percent of patients in 2008, the market share of biguanides has increased significantly since 2002, when they were used by 48 percent of patients. In direct contrast, sulfonylureas, which were used by 37 percent of patients in 2008, have lost considerable market share since 2002, when they were used by 58 percent of patients.

In terms of switching behavior, just under one–third of exclusive pill users have changed a pill brand within the last two years. While a significant minority of patients switch between brands within the sulfonylurea and biguanide classes, for other classes most patients are switching out of the class.

"The growth in OAA use across Western Europe is being fueled by increased awareness and diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, as these patients are most likely to be on pills. Also aiding this trend is a move to medicating these patients earlier, in order to help control their diabetes," said Ian Pike, director of GfK Market Measures´ Roper Global Diabetes Group based in the United Kingdom. "Type 2 patients often suffer from many other ailments - obesity, cardiovascular disease and sight problems, for example - which impact the quality of their day–to–day lives and compliance with medications. This points to a real opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to develop novel therapies that would address the issues surrounding polypharmacy, especially compliance."

3,636 Diabetes Patients Share Their Insights

Reflecting insights from 3,636 diabetes patients in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom, fielded via in–depth telephone interviews from November 2007 through March 2008, GfK Market Measures´ Roper Global Diabetes Group´s 2008 Western European Diabetes Patient Study provides a comprehensive perspective of the region´s diabetes market. The study runs every two years and offers comparable data back to 1994.

About GfK Market Measures

GfK Market Measures (www.gfkmarketmeasures.com) provides health care clients with a unique mix of custom and syndicated research solutions to support the full marketing continuum. GfK Market Measures is a member of the GfK Healthcare Companies, one of the largest providers of health care marketing research services in the world. For more details on this study or to schedule an interview with a GfK Market Measures executive, please contact Jessica Makovsky, group vice president of communications, GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies, at 1.267.304.3780 or jmakovsky@gfkushc.com.