AbbVie now faces a more seasoned rival than Eli Lilly. (AbbVie)
Spherix Global Insights said AbbVie’s Skyrizi has quickly blasted past Eli Lilly’s Omvoh in ulcerative colitis, capturing more than double the market share of its rival two months after launch. But AbbVie now faces another challenger, with Spherix predicting a similarly speedy launch for Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya.
Lilly became the first company to win U.S. approval for IL-23 inhibitor almost one year ago when the FDA signed off on Omvoh at the second time of asking. AbbVie crashed the party months later, receiving the green light to sell rival IL-23 drug Skyrizi in ulcerative colitis in June. Spherix polled 74 gastroenterologists in August to get an early look at how the fight for market share was shaping up.
The survey suggests AbbVie rapidly clawed back any advantage Lilly gained from being first to market. Two months after approval, Skyrizi was the dominant drug in the IL-23 ulcerative colitis market, Spherix found, with 90% of respondents aware of the approval and most having already prescribed the drug.
AbbVie’s launch likely benefited from physicians’ familiarity with the drug, which was approved in an adjacent indication, Crohn’s disease, in 2022. Gastroenterologists were already experienced with using Skyrizi by the time AbbVie won approval in ulcerative colitis. Spherix also noted that AbbVie has a long history in inflammatory bowel disease whereas Omvoh is Lilly’s first foray into the competitive space.
AbbVie now faces a more seasoned rival. The FDA approved J&J’s IL-23 inhibitor Tremfya in September. While J&J ceded an 11-month headstart to Lilly, it is a veteran of the ulcerative colitis market that built a strong presence in the space with Stelara. A mix of biosimilar copies and new branded challengers such as Skyrizi could soon start eating into Stelara’s blockbuster sales, making the Tremfya launch key for J&J.
Spherix has evidence Tremfya can make a fast start. The company surveyed 103 gastroenterologists in July, emerging with data that suggest Tremfya will follow the same launch trajectory as Skyrizi. Spherix said the rates of Tremfya and Skyrizi use six months into their respective launches could be similar.
