Immunotherapy of Cancer

Report Highlights

• The global market for immunotherapies to treat cancer was worth $19.6 billion in 2006 and will reach $23.7 billion by the end of 2007. At a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5%, the global market will be worth more than $37.2 billion by 2012.
• Monoclonal cancer treatments have the largest share of the global market. In 2006 they were worth more than $10.4 billion and will reach more than $16.1 billion by 2012, a CAGR of 6.2%
• Cancer vaccines have the greatest potential for growth, growing at a CAGR of 35.2% to reach more than $5.4 billion by 2012.

INTRODUCTION

Cancer immunotherapeutics, in particular monoclonal antibody-based products and vaccines, are transforming the cancer treatment market and providing a whole new arsenal of weapons. The introduction of the first monoclonal antibody product to the worldwide market for the treatment of cancer in 1998 initiated a cascade of additional monoclonal antibody products for the treatment of cancer that continues unabated. Average annual growth of monoclonal antibody products has stayed in the double digits since the late 1990s. In 2006, antibodies were the single largest class of therapeutics in clinical development with the exception of vaccines. Essentially every biotech and pharmaceutical company, large or small, has a research program that centers on monoclonal antibodies.

The first dedicated off-the-shelf (not patient-specific) cancer vaccine was introduced to the market in 2006. Merck's Gardasil (quadrivalent human papillomavirus recombinant vaccine) was approved by the FDA in June 2006 for the prevention of cervical cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). The approval of Gardasil marks the first time the FDA approved a designated therapeutic cancer vaccine. Gardasil was approved in the E.U. in September 2006. This report discusses the impact of these new and growing classes of cancer drugs, their influence on the market in terms of treatment and revenues, and how they will complement and/or compete with existing products.

The information and analysis presented in this report on cancer immunotherapy products are important assets in decision-making for managers involved in business development, marketing, market research, product development, mergers and acquisitions, licensing, business management, investment banking and for consultants to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the current markets for cancer immunotherapy products and, in particular, the market potential of promising drugs, vaccines and technologies under development.

SCOPE OF STUDY

This report contains:

• Analyses of products and applications in the cancer immunotherapy sector, including biological response modifiers (cytokines), monoclonal antibody-based products, therapeutic vaccines and other cancer immunotherapies.
• An overview of the global market, including historical data for cancer treatment and therapies, the latest market trends, and 5-year forecasts and estimates through 2012
• A section on industry structure with strategies employed by Big Pharma as well as top-selling drug patent expirations and how this relates to the overall pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology companies in particular
• Sections on products and applications with synopses of more than 100 cancer immunotherapy drug and vaccine products, including those currently marketed and those in Phase III or later development
• Analyses of patents within the past few decades
• Profiles for important businesses.

METHODOLOGY

The base year for this study is 2006. Figures are based on revenue figures at the manufacturers' level and are projected at 2006 dollar value; that is, inflation is not computed into the projection figures.

This study was prepared from information obtained from product managers, marketing strategists, research executives and others at leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that compete in the market for cancer immunotherapeutics or which have products in development for this market.

INFORMATION SOURCES

The information and analyses presented in this report are based on an extensive survey of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries as well as a detailed examination of published literature and reports obtained from regulatory authorities, medical research institutions, pharmaceutical trade associations and national and world health organizations. Key information from the business literature was used as to obtain expert opinion on commercial potential and market sizes from industry professionals.

AUTHOR'S CREDENTIALS

Lynn Gray has been a research analyst in the biotechnology and life sciences since 1989. Her collaboration with BCC Research began in 1996, and since then, she has authored over 20 BCC biomedical reports.