Gastric Cancer - Targeted therapies compete for first-to-market status

Gastric cancer incidence in 2009 is forecast to be 197,000 in the seven major pharmaceutical markets (US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and UK). Although, the global incidence has decreased in recent years, mortality remains high, particularly in the US and Europe. Therefore, predictably a high unmet need remains for effective therapies to improve mortality.

Surgery is the mainstay of gastric cancer treatment. Chemotherapyalone or in combination with radiotherapyhas a role in the treatment of both early-stage and locoregional disease. However, its main application is in the treatment of advanced disease, where it is used with palliative intent and only results in a poor median survival of 79 months.

The Phase III gastric cancer pipeline comprises six drugs, five of which are molecular targeted therapies. All the drugs in the pipeline are intended for use in the first-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer.

The gastric cancer market is currently attracting R&D interest from key pharmaceutical players. Drugs such as Avastin (bevacizumab; Genentech/Roche/Chugai), Herceptin (trastuzumab; Genentech/Roche/Chugai), and Tykerb (lapatinib; GlaxoSmithKline) are seeking line extensions. Approval of any agents will result in a very competitive market.

Read more...

• Herceptin (25/01/2010)
• NICE remains negative over Avastin (07/12/2009)
• ASCO meeting 2009 (15/06/2009)

• Global Industry Almanac (05/06/2009)
• Schizophrenia (29/05/2009)
• CNS Market Overview (29/05/2009)
• Pricing and Reimbursement in the UAE (08/05/2009)
• Future Pharmaceutical Industry Trends (17/04/2009)
• Generic Benchmarking (17/04/2009)
• Tuberculosis (07/04/2009)
• Healthcare Technology Opportunities (30/03/2009)
• Generics Trends in the Seven Major Markets (20/03/2009)

---