Relypsa (RLYP) Veltassa 'Off To A Strong Start' - Spherix Global Insights

Spherix Global Insights said a recent study with 101 US nephrologists in late January 2016 showed "promising activity" for Relypsa's (NASDAQ: RLYP) Veltassa.

Prior to launch, but following the October approval, unaided awareness of Veltassa was high which likely paved the way for early trial. In addition to the 20% of surveyed nephrologists who already have prescribed Veltassa to at least one patient, 17% report that they intend to start prescribing "right away." Nephrologists report a high unmet need with a large pool of patients who would be considered candidates for Veltassa.

One of the greatest barriers to Veltassa use noted in the study is the boxed warning calling for a six-hour dose separation with other medications due to potential drug-drug interactions. 24% of those surveyed indicated that this would have a significant impact on their use. However, since the fielding, Relypsa provided updated information on the drug-drug interactions, suggesting that a shorter dose separation window may be possible. A follow up survey in February will highlight the impact this update has had on diminishing this barrier.

A rapid uptake is critical for Veltassa which faces competition from AstraZeneca's ZS-9 (zirconium silicate), another novel potassium binder with a PDUFA date in May. Awareness of ZS-9 is also high and although most nephrologists feel that it is too early to point to one agent as more advantageous, a small subset views ZS-9 as the superior product.

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