Diverse Pipeline "Could Transform Liver Cancer Treatment" Within 10 Years

Liver cancer treatment could undergo an impressive transformation over the next 10 years, with a diverse pipeline of 218 products targeting several major needs that are unmet by the current market, according to GBI Research.   The company’s latest report, Liver Cancer - Identifying and Commercializing First-in-Class Innovation, states that the liver cancer pipeline contains a large amount of first-in-class innovation, contrasting heavily to the market landscape, which has shown little in the way of therapeutic innovation in recent years, with the exception of Nexavar (sorafenib).   While liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, its poor prognosis makes it the second leading cause of cancer death. Rising prevalence in developed economies and the success of targeted oncology therapies are factors driving interest in drug development.   Compared to the 62 currently marketed therapies, there are 218 products in active development in the liver cancer pipeline, 76 of which are acting on 61 first-in-class targets. This represents a remarkable 49% of the pipeline with a disclosed molecular target, somewhat higher than the 43% first-in-class average across the entire oncology pipeline, says GBI Research.   The company's analyst Joshua Libberton commented: “With each major target family showing at least some degree of first-in-class development, the future liver cancer treatment market has a high likelihood of gaining an array of new therapy types and targets, broadening the scope of potential benefits for patients. This trend will lead to the approval of more targeted therapies over the coming decade.”