Cancer treatments are becoming increasingly personalized and target-oriented, as regulators are approving therapeutics offering significant benefits to small target populations. These are the latest findings of GBI Research (London, United Kingdom), a market-leading provider of business intelligence reports.

The launch of a range of novel pipeline molecules in phase III development scheduled during the next six years is expected to increase progression-free survival, therefore promising a better life to many cancer patients. The molecules are also expected to address the safety and unmet needs of various cancer treatments for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL). While the therapeutic options of these pipeline drugs that target a small population are expensive, their uptake is expected to be rapid in the target population.

For example, the approval of crizotinib, developed by Pfizer (New York, NY, USA), which treats only 5% of the total NSCLC patient population, and the change in cetuximab coverage of the colorectal cancer patient population (from every patient to wild type V-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) patients) indicates a shift in focus to more personalized cancer treatment.

The development pipeline drugs include protein kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines, with a total of 1,198 molecules under investigation. Protein kinase inhibitor have the highest number of molecules under development, accounting for 42% of the oncology pipeline, with 194 monoclonal antibody molecules in development, and 63 vaccine molecules in various stages of development. Protein kinase inhibitors are one of the major classes under development, due to the role of this protein in helping cancer cells evade normal physiological constraints on growth and survival.

Monoclonal antibodies such as bevacizumab (Avastin), cetuximab, rituximab, and trastuzumab (Herceptin) also represent a leading class of drugs in the oncology therapeutics market. These are safer and more effective than the conventional chemotherapy treatment options, and target the unmet needs of late-stage cancer patients, having proven successful in improving survival and quality of life. The number of monoclonal antibodies in the drug development pipeline for the treatment of cancer increased over the last decade, driven by their own success, but they are therefore priced at a premium.

GBI Research predicts that novel therapies will generate revenue of USD 2,979 million by 2018 for the oncology therapeutics market, which will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3% during 2012-2018.

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