Global GBM therapeutics market to expand at CAGR of 10.9% to $623 million by 2020

Growth will hinge on DCVax-L vaccine success following early approval in Germany, says GBI Research.

According to analysis from business intelligence provider GBI Research - Glioblastoma Multiforme Therapeutics in Major Developed Markets to 2020 - the value of the global Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) treatment market will expand at a rapid Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.9%, from $301 million in 2013 to $623 million by 2020.

This impressive growth will be driven by the approval of novel products with high tumor specificity that significantly improves patient survival. These include the DCVax-L vaccine, anticipated to launch in Europe in 2016.

GBM is the most common and aggressive form of brain tumor, accounting for 3-4% of all cancer-related deaths in the US. Resection surgery, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy, remains the standard of care. However, despite optimal treatment, the prognosis is very poor, with a median survival of less than 15 months and a high tumor recurrence rate.

Senior Analyst Angel Wong: "Clinical trials for new GBM treatments are extremely time consuming and have a high attrition rate. The disease's low prevalence rates also make trial recruitment difficult and drug development very costly.

"However, there remains a significant demand for therapies that show high potency against chemotherapy-resistant tumors. As such, there are some attractive opportunities, particularly for recurrent GBM, as these patients' unmet needs are not expected to be addressed by current market players."

Key Findings Include:

• While small molecules continue to dominate the GBM drug pipeline, biologics are gaining prominence
• The current GBM treatment arena relies on the use of DNA-targeting drugs, which lack tumor specificity. However, the pipeline presents a markedly different landscape, with a promising late-stage presence of targeted therapies and personalized treatments
• The biggest change in the GBM product market landscape between 2013 and 2020 will occur in the newly-diagnosed patient segment

SOURCE GBI Research