Roche’s increased sales for its extended-release treatment for macular degeneration, Vabysmo, indicate that consumers are willing to try new therapies.
This trend initially posed a challenge for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and its leading product Eylea, but Regeneron has responded by introducing a new, long-lasting version of its Eylea drug. The newly approved 8 mg Eylea, which gained FDA approval on August 21, allows for dosing every four months instead of the previous two months. This new dosage brought in $43 million in US sales within the last six weeks of the third quarter.
Favorably to recent launches in the retinal disease category. In terms of the switches, itās early days, we are seeing switches from Eyleaāas you would expect of course because we are the category leader. But we are also hearing switches from faricimab (Vabysmo).ā
– Len Schleifer, CEO, RegeneronĀ
Also Read: FDA Approves Eylea HD Injection 8 Mg For The Treatment Of Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Macular Edema, And Diabetic Retinopathy
Despite these new developments, Eylea’s overall US sales fell by 11% year over year and 1% from the previous quarter, totaling $1.49 billion. Bayer, which markets Eylea outside the US, reported a 6% increase in sales to $872 million when adjusted for currency fluctuations, according to Regeneron’s outgoing CFO Robert Landry.
Roche’s Vabysmo, on the other hand, has seen robust growth since its release in early 2022, with third-quarter earnings climbing by 27% to 656 million Swiss francs ($725 million), significantly surpassing the forecasted sales of 1.1 billion Swiss francs by 2026. Additionally, the FDA has recently approved Vabysmo for treating retinal vein occlusion which figured the bispecific for ~$1 billion by 2026.
Also Read: Rocheās Vabysmo Preserves RVO Patientsā Vision With 4-Month Treatment Intervals In Phase III Trials
Regeneron also reported a 15% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue, reaching $3.36 billion, exceeding analysts’ predictions. This includes earnings per share of $11.59, surpassing the anticipated $10.72. A significant contributor to the revenue bump was Dupixent, which is co-marketed with Sanofi and saw a 33% increase in sales to $3.1 billion, aided by recent approvals for additional uses. The company also disclosed encouraging preliminary results from a phase 3 trial of Dupixent in treating COPD.
Sales of another Sanofi collaboration, the cancer drug Libtayo, climbed 62% to $232 million for the quarter.
