Market & Opportunities

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in industrialised countries, accounting for roughly 20% of all deaths, and its prevalence is expected to grow further. The yearly incidence of new cancer cases worldwide was 12.7 million in 2008, approximately half of which occur in developed countries.

Standard therapies are, by and large, still considered unsatisfactory, leaving half of the patients uncured. This represents an attractive market opportunity for innovative treatment approaches. The total pharmacological market for cancer in developed countries is presently estimated at USD 500bn annually. The market is currently made up of five major therapeutic segments: adjuncts, cytotoxics, hormones, biologicals and advanced therapies. Much of the future growth is expected to come from biologicals and advanced therapies. Cancer immunotherapies are expected to account for much of this increase and have the potential to generate sales of around USD 250bn annually.

As an individualised therapy, Activartis’ therapeutic may in principle be used for the treatment of all types of cancerous diseases and therefore has blockbuster potential.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain cancer and almost always lethal. The incidence of GBM is approximately 5 cases per 100,000 and it accounts for around 1.4% of all cancer cases worldwide. The disease often progresses rapidly, prognosis is almost always poor (median survival is about 14 months) especially in the absence of gross total resection. There are currently few treatment options that significantly influence disease outcome. Clearly, there is an unmet medical need for improved treatment outcomes for patients with GBM.