This article originally appeared in Fierce Pharma Aug 14, 2025
An analysis of how cancer drugmakers interact with oncologists found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that those interactions are dominated by therapies boasting a broad reach and targeting the most common cancers.
The new ZoomRx report analyzed more than 71,000 interactions with pharma sales reps reported by around 700 oncology healthcare professionals (HCPs) between July 2024 and June of this year.
The promotions spanned more than 40 indications, and 49% of them focused on just five types of cancer: breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), multiple myeloma, chronic lymphoid leukemia and prostate cancer, in that order.
The top two types were especially prevalent. Not only do both rank among the most common cancer diagnoses, but they also, as the report notes, saw significant advancements in treatment options throughout the analyzed period. AstraZeneca’s Enhertu and Datroway earned new approvals in breast cancer, while in NSCLC, AZ touted new survival data for Tagrisso and an approval for Imfinzi, and Johnson & Johnson reported Tagrisso-beating survival data for its Rybrevant-Lazcluze combo.
Several of those brands were among the most common subjects of the analyzed interactions, including Enhertu at No. 2, Imfinzi at No. 3 and Tagrisso in fifth place. Merck’s Keytruda took first, and AZ and Merck’s Lynparza rounded out the top five at No. 4.
The top 10 brands made up 35% of promotions—out of more than 170 drugs included in the report—and all of the list’s leaders span multiple indications. ZoomRx tracked 17 indications for Keytruda, for example, and 11 for Enhertu. Also reaching double digits was Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo, which took sixth place on the list and had 10 indications tracked in the report.
With its domination of the indication- and brand-specific analyses, it should come as no surprise that AstraZeneca led the pack in oncology HCP-sales rep interactions, with a 14% share. The British Big Pharma was followed by Roche’s Genentech—maker of No. 7 brand Tecentriq—then Merck, BMS and J&J in the top five.
All together, the top 10 companies, out of a pool of more than 60, were responsible for about two-thirds of all oncology promotions, suggesting that influence among HCPs is heavily concentrated among just a handful of cancer drugmakers.
The report comes not long after another analysis from ZoomRx homed in on how oncologists perceive various makers of cancer therapeutics. That ranking looks very similar to the promotions-based lineup: It was led by AstraZeneca, with Merck, BMS, Pfizer and Roche close behind.
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