Out With the Old, In With the New in Treating MS

By Ryan Guenette - July 31, 2013 | Tickers: BIIB, NVS, PFE, SNY, TEVA | 0 Comments

Ryan is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

Hidden beneath all the numbers and metrics in Biogen Idec's(NASDAQ: BIIB) recent earnings reportis a key confirmation of a shifting market in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. This alteration could yield billions of dollars for companies positioned to take advantage of it.

What Happened

On July 25, Biogen reported second-quarter financial results. Earnings of $2.30 per share and revenue of $1.7 billion both trumped estimates, while the company's higher guidance fueled investors'optimism regarding the company's future.However, neither development could steal the report's spotlight away from the unexpected success of the companys new multiple sclerosis oral drug, Tecfidera. The drug generated sales of $192 million in the quarter, more than double what the Street expected.

A Coming Revolution in MS Treatment

Contrary to most current multiple sclerosistreatments , Tecfidera is a pill, not an injection. The treatments which currently dominate this $14.4 billion global market-- Avonex (Biogen), Copaxone (Teva), Tysabri (Biogen), Rebif (Pfizer & EMD Sereno) -- are all injections.

However, a 2010 Thomson Reuters market analysis report expressed a view shared by other prominent market analysts: Oral drugs will soon revolutionize the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Until recently, the only disease-modifying agents available were the interferons, a highly competitive drug class, but with the disadvantage of administration by injection.

The Kings Could Fall

A shift away from the traditional injection treatments of MS would have a monumental impact on some of the largest players in the pharmaceutical industry.

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Out With the Old, In With the New in Treating MS