By
Paul Cranston and Tomi Shobande 
Every month, CREATION.co’s tracking updates bring you the latest insights from the conversation of healthcare professionals (HCPs) across the globe discussing product launches. Discover which new drug approvals HCPs are talking about, what they think about them, and which online sources they are using to inform their opinions and conversations in CREATION.co’s latest tracking update.
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Throughout January 2022 we tracked the global conversations of 2,797 HCPs who posted 4,166 English-language Twitter posts about the launches and approvals of new products.
In January, HCPs conversation in relation to product approvals quietened slightly compared to the previous month, with two COVID-19 related approvals driving spikes in conversation at the beginning and end of the month. In smaller numbers, HCPs also shared the news of approvals of two treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the EMA indication extension of Keytruda, and the first FDA approval of a treatment for metastatic uveal melanoma.
The ever-evolving landscape of COVID-19 vaccines shifted again on January 31, with Moderna winning full approval for its jab from the FDA. Moderna’s two-shot mRNA vaccine, now branded Spikevax, was previously being administered under emergency use authorisation.
Early this month, the FDA also authorised the use of a third ‘booster’ dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 and narrowed the interval for a booster shot eligibility to five months from six. The agency also authorised a third shot for children aged 5 through 11 years who are immunocompromised.
U.S. FDA Authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 Booster for 12 to 15-Year-Olds https://t.co/9qYr7Tajjc
The agency also authorized a third shot for children aged 5 through 11 years who are immunocompromised.
Boosters are also now approved after 5 months instead of 6.
— Ruth Ann Crystal, MD (@CatchTheBaby) January 3, 2022
FDA has just granted full #regulatory approval for the Moderna #COVID19 #vaccine (Spikevax), previously available under emergency use auth, for ages 18 & up. Product labeling here: https://t.co/YP35Q4oDz4.#VaccinesWork #MedTwitterhttps://t.co/sJIpUButvJ via @statnews
— Tatiana Prowell, MD (@tmprowell) January 31, 2022
The final COVID-19 related authorisation that grabbed the attention of HCPs, was the FDA approval of remdesivir for the treatment of outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. HCPs took the chance to support the drug when members of the public shared critical opinions of it.
That’s completely wrong Remdesivir is a well known and widely used antiviral. 🙄 https://t.co/xkD07arnIg
— Sue💙#NeverVoteTory (@suehard) January 24, 2022
The FDA also approved Kimmtrak (tebentafusp-tebn) from Immunocore Ltd for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma. HCPs reacted positively to the approval, highlighting its importance as “1st and only FDA approved therapy for the treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma”.
JUST OUT‼️
The @US_FDA 🇺🇸 approves Tebentafusp for unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma that is HLA-A*02:01-positive
✅The only FDA-approved treatment for this indication
✅The 1⃣st T-cell receptor therapeutic to receive regulatory approvalhttps://t.co/KYoi56egyF pic.twitter.com/rMlwW4TurS
— Gil Morgan, MD (@weoncologists) January 26, 2022
Additionally, HCPs shared the news that the EMA had extended the indication for Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) with its approval as an adjuvant therapy for certain patients With renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at increased risk of recurrence. HCPs welcomed the approval and looked forward to having more options that could extend survival and quality of life for renal cancer patients.
Adjuvant Pembro approved by EMA: “extending the indication for Keytruda to the adjuvant treatment of adults with #renalcarcinoma at increased risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, or following nephrectomy” @grimm_mo @tompowles1 @scserendipity1 @DrChoueiri @MRoupret
— Axel S. Merseburger (@amerseburger) January 26, 2022
Other HCPs also drew attention to two approvals in NSCLC this month. The first being Abbvie’s Teliso-V (telisotuzumab vedotin), which the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) for previously treated NSCLC. The second being Pfizer’s Lorviqua (lorlatinib), which was approved in the EU for first-line treatment of adult patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)- positive advanced lung cancer. Thoracic oncologist Michael Duruisseaux led the celebrations for both approvals with other HCPs retweeting his posts.
🔥Lorlatinib approved in 🇪🇺 for first line treatment in ALK-positive advanced NSCLC🔥
A new treatment option and an open debate on best ALK TKI to choose in first line treatment.@AlkRos1France @ALKLungCancer @alk_fusion @Pfizer_Francehttps://t.co/5lA2PypNBR— Michael Duruisseaux (@MDuruisseaux) January 31, 2022
🔥FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation to telisotuzumab vedotin in met + EGFR WT advanced NSq NSCLC🔥
Waiting of early access in 🇲🇫@AbbVieFrancehttps://t.co/g0JOZl9SLH— Michael Duruisseaux (@MDuruisseaux) January 5, 2022
The three most shared links from HCPs discussing product launches in January were:
- An FDA article about their decision limit the use of certain monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19
- A Nature article about FDA approvals in 2021
- An FDA article about the expansion of treatments for treating outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19
Each month, CREATION.co tracks the HCP conversation relating to new product launches.
You can keep up to date with this and a variety of other topics including virtual congress, healthcare changes since the pandemic, product development and therapy area specific insights within the Tracking section of CREATION Knowledge, or sign up to receive our monthly eJournal with all of our latest HCP insights.
To stay up to date, you can sign up to CREATION.co’s monthly eJournal.
Methodology
- Using CREATION Pinpoint® the English-language Twitter conversations of HCPs globally discussing new pharmaceutical product launches and drug approvals between 1 January and 31 January 2022 were analysed in order to discover which new product launches HCPs are discussing as well as #WhatHCPsThink.
- Mentions of drug approvals by the FDA, EMA, NICE, and CHMP were included in the data, as well as mentions of ‘drug approval’ by HCPs in their Twitter conversations.
- Between 1 January and 31 January 2022, there were 4,166 HCP mentions of new pharmaceutical product launches and drug approvals from 2,797 unique HCP authors from around the world.
