Wanted: Non-inferior pricing, too

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. has now demonstrated in Phase III trials that its VEGF Trap-Eye aflibercept is non-inferior to Lucentis ranibizumab for wet age-related macular degeneration, but gets the job done with fewer injections. According to ophthalmologists, a reduction in doctor visits could provide a significant benefit to patients and their caregivers, but they caution that given similar efficacy, Trap-Eye's price could be a more important consideration for some patients.

Data from the Phase III VIEW1 and VIEW2 trials reported late last month showed Trap-Eye was non-inferior to Lucentis on the primary endpoint of proportion of patients with wet AMD who maintained or improved vision from baseline to week 52...