Shortly after the launch of TriLipix , Abbott is seeing patients switch from its established fenofibrate TriCor to the next-generation drug- a welcoming sign for the firm, given that TriCor is expected to face generics in 2011.

"The pace at which physicians are writing scripts [for TriLipix] is ahead of our expectations," CFO Thomas Freyman said at the Cowen & Company Health Care Conference March 17.

TriLipix (fenofibric acid) was approved Dec. 15, distinguished as the only fibrate approved for use in combination with a statin. It is indicated for combination use to reduce triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol in patients with mixed dyslipidemia and chronic heart disease or risk equivalent who are on optimal statin therapy to achieve their LDL cholesterol goals (¹ Also see "TriLipix Approval Strengthens Abbott’s Cholesterol Franchise" - Pink Sheet, 22 December, 2008. p. 8). The drug also has an indication for use as monotherapy.

"The indication for combination use with a statin has been an important factor in this early success," Freyman said, noting that combination use has been the motivation for some patients on TriCor to switch to TriLipix during its brief time on the market.

Abbott Opted For Cost Advantage

TriLipix also offers a slight cost advantage to TriCor. TriLipix 135 mg has a wholesale acquisition cost of $103 for a 30-day supply compared to TriCor 145 mg, which has a WAC of $108 for the month, Abbott said.

Abbott offered an additional incentive for consumers in implementing a TriLipix Care Program in conjugation with the drug's launch. Patients prescribed TriLipix receive a starter kit that includes a 30-day voucher for the first script filled and a discount on the next five refills, allowing consumers to pay no more than $25 out of pocket per script for the first six months of therapy.

The co-pay program helps "make up gaps in cost some patients experience," Abbott said.

The firm also says quick uptake of the drug is due, in part, to physicians recognizing that combination therapy is needed in some patients to address the full lipid panel, typically beyond the reach of monotherapy. Abbott said combination use is especially important for the 34 million people who have mixed dyslipidemia in the U.S.

The drug's favorable safety and efficacy profile, backed by clinical studies evaluating its use with simvastatin and atorvastatin (Pfizer's Lipitor ) that met primary endpoints in mixed dyslipidemia patients also is leading physicians to prescribe TriLipix, the firm said.

A Sought-After Switch

Continuing to increase the number of patients switching from TriCor to TriLipix is crucial for Abbott, which is looking to counter the hit its cholesterol franchise will take from TriCor's patent expiry in 2011. TriCor/TriLipix brought in $1.3 billion in sales in 2008, including the latter's nearly two week debut on the market post-approval. Going forward, Abbott will report combined sales for TriCor/Trilipix as a franchise.

Overall, Abbott's burgeoning cholesterol franchise outperformed the market in the fourth quarter of 2008 due to strong growth for Niaspan (niacin) - about 24 percent - and TriCor/TriLipix - 16 percent. Uptake of Simcor , Abbott's combination Niaspan/simvastatin product launched last year,is another indication of the firm's ability to quickly establish new products in the cholesterol space (² Also see "Abbott Won’t Shrink From Competitor Merck’s Cordaptive" - Pink Sheet, 16 April, 2008.).

Abbott also is developing a fixed-dose combination of TriLipix with AstraZeneca's statin Crestor (rosuvastatin). Abbott began co-promoting Crestor last year as an expansion of the firms' initial cholesterol partnership (³ Also see "Abbott, AstraZeneca Riding Crestor Wave With Expanded Partnership" - Pink Sheet, 18 August, 2008. p. 7).

The TriLipix/Crestor formulation for combination use in dyslipidemia is in Phase III and on track for a regulatory submission in the second half of the year, Abbott said.

Later this month, the firm also will present new data evaluating TriLipix in combination with 5 mg Crestor - a lower dose option for patients - at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Orlando, Fl.

- Carlene Olsen (c.olsen@elsevier.com)

TriLipix Exceeding Abbott’s Expectations Shortly After Launch, Execs Say

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