Head & Neck Cancer Market Offers Fertile Investment Ground as Disease Understanding Improves

A substantial number of first-in-class products in the head and neck cancer pipeline will reach the market over the coming decade, potentially transforming the clinical and commercial landscape, according to business intelligence firm GBI Research.

The company’s latest report, Frontier Pharma: Head and Neck Cancer – Immunotherapies and Signal Transduction Inhibitors Dominate First-in-Class Innovation, finds that there are 112 first-in-class programs in the head and neck cancer pipeline, acting on 87 distinct first-in-class molecular targets. This accounts for 39.2% of all products with a disclosed molecular target and reflects the high degree of innovation in this indication.

Adam Bradbury, Associate Analyst for GBI Research, explains: “Factors driving the pipeline size include the limited efficacy of current treatments for refractory patients and a lack of approved targeted therapies in the market landscape, facilitating the development of novel compounds. These factors have far-reaching strategic implications for all market participants, as it is likely that numerous first-in-class products, many of which are supported by promising preclinical data, will reach the market over the coming decade, potentially transforming the clinical and commercial landscape.”

Despite risks associated with developing first-in-class products, they have still proven to be a highly desirable investment option. Indeed, the high level of deal-making activity within the head and neck cancer space is indicative of a strong willingness on the part of pharmaceutical companies to engage in strategic consolidations to mitigate some of the risks associated with drug development, such as the high attrition rates exhibited by oncology indications.

Bradbury notes “Proprietary data show evidence of a promising number of products in the head and neck cancer pipeline, approximately a third of which are first-in-class targets, across all stages of development. These target a wide range of known cancer-related cellular processes and signaling pathways, through a number of different therapeutic approaches. On the whole, there is no shortage of developmental programs that display both incremental and disruptive innovation, warranting an optimistic outlook for patients, companies and investors alike.”

This report was built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by GBI Research’s team of industry experts.

GBI Research is a market-leading provider of business intelligence reports, offering actionable data and forecasts based on the insights of key industry leaders to ensure you stay up-to-date with the latest emerging trends in your markets. GBI Research is a trading name of GlobalData plc. For more information, please contact our Press Office on +44 (0)161 359 5822 or at pr@gbiresearch.com. Follow us online for the latest industry updates: Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter.