Key Findings

1. New number 1: In July 2007, Vytorin took over the top spot from Lipitor in terms of tier 1/2 availability by covered lives – with about 80% tier 1/2 availability.
2. The big three: Vytorin, Lipitor, and Crestor have the best tier 1/2 availability and are also the leaders in terms of U.S. sales for the class. These drugs are each available at tier 1/2 for over 70% of covered lives, providing a significant access advantage over the other drugs in the class.
3. Who gained ground? Crestor significantly increased its tier 1/2 positioning starting in the second half of 2006 (and specifically during the 4th quarter). Crestor’s tier 1/2 availability increased from 43% in July 2006 to over 70% availability by January 2007. Vytorin’s tier 1/2 availability increased somewhat, recently, to almost 80% in July 2007. Advicor had a big formulary win during 4Q’06 which increased its tier 1/2 availability to 53%.
4. Who lost ground? A generic version of Zocor became available in June 2006 and, as expected, had a significant impact on Zocor’s tier 1/2 availability within six months. Zocor’s availability declined from just under 70% in July 2006 down to under 10% by January 2007.

---

Printable version (PDF 332KB)

---

Archives

December 2007: Lack of Impact from Two Key Generics in the Anti-depressant Formulary Market

October 2007: Formulary Position Differences between Commercial and Medicare Plans

September 2007: Impact of Patent Loss for Zocor on the Statin Marketplace