Frontier Pharma: Liver Cancer - Identifying and Commercializing First-in-Class Innovation

Frontier Pharma: Liver Cancer - Identifying and Commercializing First-in-Class Innovation

Summary

Globally, liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer, but its poor prognosis makes it the second leading cause of cancer-related death (Globocan, 2012). Currently, the range of therapies is limited; the market consisted entirely of chemotherapies for many years, and only recently have targeted therapies begun to emerge.

The liver cancer market is segmented in terms of its needs. Early-stage patients have access to curative therapies such as surgical resection, and therefore have a relatively positive outlook. However, at at the opposite end of the spectrum patients that are diagnosed in later stages - who represent the majority of the patient population - are not eligible for surgery, and have a very poor prognosis in spite of the approvals of targeted therapies such as Nexavar (sorafenib) and Stivarga (regorafenib).

In stark contrast to the relatively limited market landscape, which contains just 86 products, the liver cancer pipeline is large, diverse and highly innovative. The pipeline has 423 products in active development, with diversity of both molecule type and mechanism of action. Of these, 122 are first-in-class, and act on 109 distinct first-in-class molecular targets. These products span a very wide range of molecular target types including cancer immunotherapies, receptor tyrosine kinases, targeted cytotoxic agents and kinase inhibitors, far exceeding the scope of products present in the chemotherapy-dominated market.

Scope

- The 423 products in active development, of which 122 are first-in-class and therefore act on completely novel targets, far exceed the scope of the current market. How will pipeline innovation affect the future liver cancer market?
- There are 109 distinct first-in-class molecular targets currently being studied. Which of these hold the greatest potential to improve future disease treatment with regard to their molecular target?
- The majority of first-in-class products in development are cancer immunotherapies. Which of these are the most promising, and how does the ratio of first-in-class targets to first-in-class products differ by stage of development and molecular target class?
- A significant number of first-in-class products have been identified with some prior involvement in deals. How do deal frequency and value compare between target families and molecule types, and which first-in-class programs have not yet been involved in a licensing or co-development deal?

Reasons to buy

- Understand the current clinical and commercial landscape. The report includes a comprehensive study of disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis and the treatment options available.
- Visualize the composition of the liver cancer market in terms of dominant molecule types and targets, highlighting what the current unmet needs are and how they can be addressed. This knowledge allows a competitive understanding of gaps in the market.
- Analyze the liver cancer pipeline and stratify by stage of development, molecule type and molecular target. There are strong signs in the pipeline that the industry is seeking novel approaches to treating liver cancer subtypes such as hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.
- Assess the therapeutic potential of first-in-class targets. Using a proprietary molecular target matrix, first-in-class products have been assessed and ranked according to clinical potential.
- Identify commercial opportunities in the liver cancer deals landscape by analyzing trends in licensing and co-development deals, and producing a list of first-in-class therapies with no prior involvement in licensing or co-development deals.

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