Neuroblastoma Therapeutic Market Trends

Market Driver - Increasing Incidence of Neuroblastoma Among Children

One of the key drivers contributing to market growth that is evident is the rising incidence of this pediatric cancer among children globally. Researchers from hospitals and cancer centers in North America and Europe have reported a slow but steady rise in the number of neuroblastoma cases being diagnosed each year, with more infants and children now being affected by this cancer than ever before.

Furthermore, as diagnostic and screening capabilities are improving all over the world, especially in developing countries, more neuroblastomas are also being detected at an early stage which otherwise may have gone unnoticed before.

With a growing pediatric patient population susceptible to neuroblastoma, the demand for effective treatment options is amplified. Pharmaceutical companies recognize this public health issue and see a widening treatment gap. Consequently, they are allocating additional resources towards research and trials of newer medicines that can target the specific molecular abnormalities and pathways involved in neuroblastoma development, hopefully improving survival outcomes.

Several candidate drugs are currently in the pipeline at different stages of evaluation. If successful, these novel targeted agents and immunotherapies will generate a substantial new revenue stream in the coming years to fulfil this rising need.

Market Driver - Growing Investments in Research and Development of Targeted Therapies

Another important factor positively impacting the neuroblastoma therapeutic sector is the mounting investments from both public and private sources into R&D of more customized treatment approaches.

Major pharmaceutical corporations as well as small biotech startups are devoting greater resources into research of targeted drugs and cell/gene-based therapies. Academic medical centers worldwide are also fundraising more to support innovative investigator-initiated trials of novel agents and combinations. Compared to a decade ago, there is significantly higher activity today around identification of genetic aberrations that fuel neuroblastoma growth and testing of therapies directly counteracting those vulnerabilities. Grantmaking organizations are prioritizing neuroblastoma for awards to test precision oncology concepts in this disease.

With personalized medicine becoming mainstream in oncology, stakeholders clearly foresee major market potential for any targeted therapy that can demonstrate reliable, clinically-meaningful benefit against neuroblastoma, especially for high-risk or relapsed patients facing limited options. As a result, targeted therapeutic discovery and translation are witnessing an unprecedented surge of capital from profit-driven as well as nonprofit sources aiming to capitalize on this unmet need. This expanding R&D base will catapult the field ahead, ultimately providing physicians an armamentarium of novel precision agents that improves clinical management of neuroblastoma going forward.

Market Challenge - High Treatment Costs

The neuroblastoma therapeutic market faces significant challenges due to high treatment costs associated with developing new therapies for this rare childhood cancer. Neuroblastoma treatment often involves intensive chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy and stem cell transplants which makes it one of the costliest pediatric cancers to treat.

Developing new drugs also have astronomical R&D costs running into billions of dollars. This puts significant financial pressure on pharmaceutical companies and deters many from actively pursuing the development of novel neuroblastoma medicines.

The low demand for drugs in the small patient pool means drug makers are unable to achieve significant sales volumes needed to recover high development expenses. These costs ultimately get passed on to parents and families in the form of out-of-pocket copays and deductibles, making treatment unaffordable for many. In the absence of government support or subsidies, high drug prices pose a major barrier to access of life-saving neuroblastoma therapies.

Market Opportunity - Development of Precision Medicine and Immunotherapies

A major opportunity in the neuroblastoma therapeutic market is the ongoing development of precision medicine and immunotherapies. With advances in genomics and proteomics, researchers are gaining deeper understanding of the molecular subtypes and drivers of this cancer. This is enabling the design of targeted medicines that block specific genetic mutations fueling tumor growth.

Concurrently, cancer immunotherapies that harness the body's immune system to fight neuroblastoma cells are also being explored. Personalized vaccinations, immune checkpoint inhibitors, T-cell therapies and other cell-based approaches offer hope of developing more effective and longer lasting treatments.

If successful, these precision and immune-based therapies could significantly improve survival outcomes for subsets of high-risk patients. Their novel mechanisms of action may also help overcome resistance to chemotherapy. The neuroblastoma therapeutic market is anticipated to witness increased investment and uptake of these newer targeted and biological therapies in the coming years.