Tepezza Key Growth Drivers?

[anonymous]

‘TEPEZZA net sales in the second quarter were $446 million, representing a 10% sequential increase compared to the first quarter of 2023 and a 7% year-over-year decline compared to the second quarter of 2022. The TEPEZZA field-force expansion initiated late in 2022 continues to drive consistent and positive momentum in the business, including increases in new prescribers, patient enrollment forms and patient starts. Through the first half of 2023, as a result of the field-force expansion, the Company expanded its reach to new physician targets, which led to a 50% year-over-year increase in the number of ophthalmologists and endocrinologists prescribing TEPEZZA. In line with the Company’s expansion strategy, prescriber growth has largely come from ophthalmologists, with continued strong referral volume from endocrinologists.”

Nice spin…looks like the expansion is delivering? With all of these new prescribers surely Tepezza should be out-performing Q2 2022. Amgen should start looking through the smoke and mirrors.

 

[anonymous]

Ok…back to the original thread


TEPEZZA net sales in the second quarter were $446 million, representing a 10% sequential increase compared to the first quarter of 2023 and a 7% year-over-year decline compared to the second quarter of 2022. The TEPEZZA field-force expansion initiated late in 2022 continues to drive consistent and positive momentum in the business, including increases in new prescribers, patient enrollment forms and patient starts. Through the first half of 2023, as a result of the field-force expansion, the Company expanded its reach to new physician targets, which led to a 50% year-over-year increase in the number of ophthalmologists and endocrinologists prescribing TEPEZZA. In line with the Company’s expansion strategy, prescriber growth has largely come from ophthalmologists, with continued strong referral volume from endocrinologists.”

Nice spin…looks like the expansion is delivering? With all of these new prescribers surely Tepezza should be out-performing Q2 2022. Amgen should start looking through the smoke and mirrors.

 

[anonymous]

The drug has been flashing warning signs for the past year and a half, but everyone was too busy patting themselves on the back to notice and everyone else too afraid to speak up. Leadership doesn’t want to hear anything other than how great their DTC campaign is doing.

 

[anonymous]

The drug has been flashing warning signs for the past year and a half, but everyone was too busy patting themselves on the back to notice and everyone else too afraid to speak up. Leadership doesn’t want to hear anything other than how great their DTC campaign is doing.

It needs all new leadership and reps that know how to sell in a rare disease. We lack both.

 

[anonymous]

Rare Disease lol . Is that why the DTC TV ads are on 24/7/365 for this so called Rare Disease please. I see no other TV ads for so called Rare Disease drugs zero.

 

[anonymous]

Rare Disease lol . Is that why the DTC TV ads are on 24/7/365 for this so called Rare Disease please. I see no other TV ads for so called Rare Disease drugs zero.

that’s directly the point, there is no reason for TV ads on this. Someone isn’t going to go into the HCP and ask for this, it’s not Viagra.

I doubt you’ll find anyone willing to tell you the ROI on the ads.

 

[anonymous]

Rare Disease lol . Is that why the DTC TV ads are on 24/7/365 for this so called Rare Disease please. I see no other TV ads for so called Rare Disease drugs zero.

b/c you see TV ads, it can’t be rare?

1 in 100 Americans have Graves. Of those, 3 out of 10 have some degree of TED. Do the math, moron.

 

[anonymous]

Rare Disease lol . Is that why the DTC TV ads are on 24/7/365 for this so called Rare Disease please. I see no other TV ads for so called Rare Disease drugs zero.

“Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a rare autoimmune condition that is associated with Graves disease and is vision-threatening, making its identification all the more important, according to Gary Lelli, MD, vice chair of ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, New York.“

 

[anonymous]

b/c you see TV ads, it can’t be rare?

1 in 100 Americans have Graves. Of those, 3 out of 10 have some degree of TED. Do the math, moron.

per your data, that leaves 995,700 people with TED. Per the Orphan Drug Act, a rare disease affects 200,000 people or less. So, no, TEPEZZA isn’t a rare disease.
However, Harvard Health assumes 500k people in the US have TED, even then it’s not meeting the definition of a rare disease.

 

[anonymous]

per your data, that leaves 995,700 people with TED. Per the Orphan Drug Act, a rare disease affects 200,000 people or less. So, no, TEPEZZA isn’t a rare disease.
However, Harvard Health assumes 500k people in the US have TED, even then it’s not meeting the definition of a rare disease.

Tepezza isn’t a disease, it’s a drug, doofus.

Tepezza received orphan drug status in 2013 from the FDA. If you got a beef, take it up with them.

 

[anonymous]

Tepezza isn’t a disease, it’s a drug, doofus.

Tepezza received orphan drug status in 2013 from the FDA. If you got a beef, take it up with them.

you sound passionate about this, maybe if you put that same passion into selling the drug wouldn’t be down year over year.

 

[anonymous]

you sound passionate about this, maybe if you put that same passion into selling the drug wouldn’t be down year over year.

Honestly I don’t sell Tepezza. I just think you’re an idiot.

I took issue with the idea that TED isn’t a rare disease because it’s heavily advertised on TV. I hate all pharma advertising - I think it’s a gigantic waste of money.

 

[anonymous]

Honestly I don’t sell Tepezza. I just think you’re an idiot.

I took issue with the idea that TED isn’t a rare disease because it’s heavily advertised on TV. I hate all pharma advertising - I think it’s a gigantic waste of money.

And you are ignorant for thinking all TV pharma advertising is a waste of money. Hopefully we don't hire people as stupid as you at Horizon.

TED is definitely a rare disease and the reps we have covering it just don't have the skills necessary to sell in that type of market. Its not so much as getting the Dr. to use your drug- its helping the Dr.'s find more patients. Completely different mindset than selling Zyprexa- something you might consider asking your Dr. about because you are delusional.

 

[anonymous]

The legacy Tepezza reps successfully launched this drug but they are all but gone. Shitty leadership with a focus on breath broke the referral patterns to the TED specialists (the ones who knew the approval process) plus mandatory speaker programs. The #’s speak for themselves, increase in breath but down in sales. Total spin city.

 

[anonymous]

The legacy Tepezza reps successfully launched this drug but they are all but gone. Shitty leadership with a focus on breath broke the referral patterns to the TED specialists (the ones who knew the approval process) plus mandatory speaker programs. The #’s speak for themselves, increase in breath but down in sales. Total spin city.

The word you are looking for is breadth, not breath.
Yes I agree with you. The mandatory programs, the reach and frequency goals are ridiculous. They are not treating this like rare disease.

 

[anonymous]

And you are ignorant for thinking all TV pharma advertising is a waste of money. Hopefully we don't hire people as stupid as you at Horizon.

TED is definitely a rare disease and the reps we have covering it just don't have the skills necessary to sell in that type of market. Its not so much as getting the Dr. to use your drug- its helping the Dr.'s find more patients. Completely different mindset than selling Zyprexa- something you might consider asking your Dr. about because you are delusional.

Here’s the thing kitten. DTC may have merit for large indications like RA, Crohns/IBD, Psoriasis, Asthma, COPD and T2D, but the economics aren’t there for a condition that affects less then 200,000 people.

your agency costs are the same. Your cost for time slots are the same, your volume of ads is equal to or in excess of the conditions mentioned above with a significantly smaller pool to target and influence.

the boss’ wife is either looking for patients that don’t meet the clinical definition or this vanity project is off the rails with promotional spend so she can claim a successful launch and uptake.

either way, if you think Amgen is going to spend like this on an orphan drug, you have another thing coming.

most companies legal and compliance wouldn’t let them for a rare disease anyway.

 

[anonymous]

Here’s the thing kitten. DTC may have merit for large indications like RA, Crohns/IBD, Psoriasis, Asthma, COPD and T2D, but the economics aren’t there for a condition that affects less then 200,000 people.

your agency costs are the same. Your cost for time slots are the same, your volume of ads is equal to or in excess of the conditions mentioned above with a significantly smaller pool to target and influence.

the boss’ wife is either looking for patients that don’t meet the clinical definition or this vanity project is off the rails with promotional spend so she can claim a successful launch and uptake.

either way, if you think Amgen is going to spend like this on an orphan drug, you have another thing coming.

most companies legal and compliance wouldn’t let them for a rare disease anyway.

This is funny. Someone posting from a small dingy basement knows what amgen is going to do if this deal even closes.

 

[anonymous]

The legacy Tepezza reps successfully launched this drug but they are all but gone. Shitty leadership with a focus on breath broke the referral patterns to the TED specialists (the ones who knew the approval process) plus mandatory speaker programs. The #’s speak for themselves, increase in breath but down in sales. Total spin city.

Only drug that treats a rare condition- bolus of patients waiting for product. What exactly did legacy Tepezza reps do to successfully launch a product? A successful launch continues with success- Tepezza lost its steam once the initial patients gone.

What would a good- experienced in rare disease- sales force do? They would have found which Dr.'s are going to be the drivers...they would have mapped out referral patterns to keep patients coming...they would have mapped out sites of care for the drs to make the process easy...they would have worked with the SOC reps to make sure everything was smooth. Each territory should have developed 1-2 KOL's to do speaker programs within that territory- those programs would be more disease state orientated and targeted at physicians that can refer those patients. None of this done in most territories which is why its a shit show. But that is what you get with reps/managers/marketing that have never sold and infusion product or in the rare disease state. They are trying to save stuff now by moving people over from the GBU but IMO to late!

 

[anonymous]

Only drug that treats a rare condition- bolus of patients waiting for product. What exactly did legacy Tepezza reps do to successfully launch a product? A successful launch continues with success- Tepezza lost its steam once the initial patients gone.

What would a good- experienced in rare disease- sales force do? They would have found which Dr.'s are going to be the drivers...they would have mapped out referral patterns to keep patients coming...they would have mapped out sites of care for the drs to make the process easy...they would have worked with the SOC reps to make sure everything was smooth. Each territory should have developed 1-2 KOL's to do speaker programs within that territory- those programs would be more disease state orientated and targeted at physicians that can refer those patients. None of this done in most territories which is why its a shit show. But that is what you get with reps/managers/marketing that have never sold and infusion product or in the rare disease state. They are trying to save stuff now by moving people over from the GBU but IMO to late!

 

[anonymous]

Only drug that treats a rare condition- bolus of patients waiting for product. What exactly did legacy Tepezza reps do to successfully launch a product? A successful launch continues with success- Tepezza lost its steam once the initial patients gone.

What would a good- experienced in rare disease- sales force do? They would have found which Dr.'s are going to be the drivers...they would have mapped out referral patterns to keep patients coming...they would have mapped out sites of care for the drs to make the process easy...they would have worked with the SOC reps to make sure everything was smooth. Each territory should have developed 1-2 KOL's to do speaker programs within that territory- those programs would be more disease state orientated and targeted at physicians that can refer those patients. None of this done in most territories which is why its a shit show. But that is what you get with reps/managers/marketing that have never sold and infusion product or in the rare disease state. They are trying to save stuff now by moving people over from the GBU but IMO to late!

Incentive pain pill pushers to increase “breadth” by interfering with established referral patterns…brilliant! Reap what you sow!