Market Challenges And Opportunities
Gallbladder Cancer Market Drivers
- Increasing prevalence of gallbladder cancer: The rising incidence of gallbladder cancer globally is a major factor driving growth in the gallbladder cancer market. Gallbladder cancer is a relatively rare cancer, but rates have been slowly rising over the past few decades. For instance, according to data published by the Cancer Council Victoria in 2021, 288 Victorians were diagnosed with gallbladder cancer. Of these, there were 140 males and 148 females.
- Growing geriatric population: The gallbladder cancer market is also driven by the growing geriatric population across the globe. Gallbladder cancer usually affects older adults and incidence rates peak in the sixth and seventh decade of life. According to the United Nations, the global population aged 65 years or over is projected to grow from 727 million in 2020 to around 50 billion in 2050. The rapidly aging global population is therefore expected to drive the increasing demand for gallbladder cancer diagnostics and treatments.
Gallbladder Cancer Market Opportunities
- Huge unmet needs: There is lot of unmet need in the gallbladder cancer market. For instance, according to the data published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), it is estimated that 4,510 deaths (1,900 men and 2,610 female) from gallbladder and other biliary cancers will occur in the U.S. in 2023.
| Restraints & Challenges: |
- High cost burden of cancer therapies
- Adverse effects of treatment
- Lack of approved targeted therapies
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Gallbladder Cancer Market Restraints
- High cost burden of cancer therapies: For example, according to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), gallbladder and biliary tract cancers are among the 10 most expensive cancers to treat in terms of initial workup and primary treatment costs. A surgery to remove the gallbladder (cholecystectomy) alone costs anywhere between US$ 20,000 to US$ 50,000 depending on the extent of surgery and hospitalization charges in different countries. Add to this the costs of pre-surgical tests like CT scans, MRIs, or biopsies which can cumulatively exceed US $10,000. Post-surgery, patients also require chemotherapy and radiation sessions. On an average, a single cycle of some of the commonly used chemotherapy drugs like gemcitabine costs US$ 3,000 to US$ 10,000. Radiation therapy sessions cost US$ 100 to US$ 500 per session and patients typically require 20 to 30 sessions. Prolonged hospital stays further add to the costs.
- Lack of approved targeted therapies: Despite research into molecular alterations in gallbladder cancer, limited targeted agents have received US FDA or European Medicines Agency (EMA) approval specifically for this indication. For instance, only one FGFR inhibitor pemigatinib has been approved so far despite the prevalence of FGFR fusions. Moreover, genomic testing to identify potential targets is also not widely adopted yet. Lack of regulatory approved targeted therapies tailored for advanced gallbladder cancer cases hinders market growth currently.
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