BLADDER CANCER THERAPEUTICS MARKET ANALYSIS

As per stats released by the World Cancer Research Fund International, around 430,000 new cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed in 2012, with bladder cancer being the ninth-most common cancer. The bladder holds urine before it leaves the body during urination. The disease in which cancerous cells form in the tissues of the bladder is known as bladder cancer. There are three major types of bladder cancer and are named on the basis of type of cells become cancerous (malignant). These type are as follows –

• Transitional Cell Carcinoma: Transitional cell carcinoma is also called as urothelial carcinoma. It begins in the urothelial cells of the bladder which are located in the lining the bladder. This is the common type of bladder cancer.
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma: This type of cancer initiates in the squamous cells and it develops in the bladder, following prolonged irritation or infection
• Adenocarcinoma: This type of cancer begins in the secretory cells (glandular) that are located in the lining of bladder. This is very rare type of bladder cancer.

According to the study of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), urothelial carcinoma accounts for around 90%, squamous cell carcinoma accounts 4% and adenocarcinoma accounts 2% of all bladder cancer. The remaining 4% bladder cancer includes other rare type of bladder cancer viz. sarcoma and small cell anaplastic cancer.

There are different types of treatment followed by doctors, which are mostly dependent on the patient’s preference for treatment and also based on type, possible side effects of the treatment and stage of bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer therapeutics market taxonomy:

Global Market by Bladder Cancer Type

• Urothelial Carcinoma
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Adenocarcinoma

Global Market by Treatment Type

• Surgery
• Transurethral bladder tumor resection (TURBT)
• Cystectomy
• Urinary Diversion
• Chemotherapy
• Intravesical (local) Chemotherapy
• Systemic (whole body) Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Intravesical Therapy
• Interferon Therapy
• Radiation Therapy

Global Market by Test Type

• Biopsy
• Cystoscopy
• Urine Cytology
• Urinalysis
• Bladder Ultrasound

Global Market by Gender

• Men
• Women

Global Market by Geography

• North America
• Europe
• APAC
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Africa

Increasing incidence rate, especially in developed regions fueling growth of bladder cancer therapeutics market

As per stats released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 59% of bladder cancer cases are observed in developed countries, with Belgium reporting the highest number of bladder cancer cases.

As per stats released by Cancer Research UK—a charity involved in cancer research and development—here were around 10,100 new cases reported in the U.K. in 2014. Bladder cancer accounts for around 3% of all new cancer cases reported in the U.K. As per a study by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), incidence rate of the disease has decreased by around 12% in the U.K. in the recent past.

According a study by Cancer Research Institute, bladder cancer is more prevalent among men than women. Around 77,000 new cases were diagnosed in the U.S. in 2016, leading to 16,000 deaths. Continuous advancements in clinical research resulted into increased survival rate of people suffering from bladder cancer, which is around 77% observed in last few years. As per the stats of American Cancer Society, bladder cancer accounts for 5% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

Some are the major reasons behind bladder cancer are unhealthy habits. Smoking is a major cause along with that continuous exposure of industrial chemicals, drinking water with high level of arsenic, family history of bladder cancer, and long-term use of urinary catheters are the other causes of bladder cancer. In Africa and Middle East schistosomiasis and infested water are the leading cause of bladder cancer.

North America holds major share in the global bladder cancer therapeutics market, followed by Europe due to advanced treatments, developed economy, and easy access to advanced healthcare facilities. The market in APAC region will witness high growth rate in the near future, due to increasing per capita income, developing economy, government initiatives on improving healthcare infrastructure, growing FDI in healthcare, and rapidly increasing aging population. As per stats released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the healthcare sector in India witness FDI worth US$ 4.09 billion between April 2000 and September 2016. Also, medical tourism in the region is a flourishing business, due to easy access to high-quality low-cost treatment option. According to data released by the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF)— a Trust established by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India—the medical tourism industry in India rakes in US$ 3 billion each  year. This creates a highly conducive environment for growth of the bladder cancer therapeutics market in the region.

Conversely, increasing use of generic drugs, high cost of treatment, asymptomatic nature of the disease and fewer pipeline products inhibit growth of the market. As per data released by the American Cancer Society, only one drug received approval from FDA in last three decade.

The major companies playing key role in bladder therapeutics market are Sanofi S.A., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Novartis, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Co., GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Allergan Inc., AVI Biopharma Inc., and AstraZeneca plc. Some are the major drugs approved by Food and Drug Administration used for the treatment of bladder cancer are Cisplatin, Nivolumab, Thiotepa, Atezolizumab, Doxorubicin Hydrochloride, Opdivo (Nivolumab), Platinol-AQ (Cisplatin), Platinol (Cisplatin), and Tecentriq (Atezolizumab).

Key Developments

1. Market players are involved in various business strategies such as gaining product approval from regulatory authorities, in order expand their product portfolio and strengthen the market position. For instance, in May 2017, Merck & Co., a pharmaceutical company, received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approval (FDA) for Keytruda (pembrolizumab) indicated for the treatment of urothelial carcinoma or also called bladder cancer.
2. Key players in the market are focused on different growth strategies such as research and development, in order expand their product portfolio. For instance, in August 2019, Roche Holding AG, a Swiss healthcare company, announced positive result for Tecentriq (atezolizumab), which meets its co-primary endpoint in Phase III IMvigor 130 trial, indicated for the treatment of bladder cancer.
3. Key players in the market are involved in various growth strategies such as gaining product approval from regulatory authorities, in order expand their product portfolio and enhance their market position. For instance, in February 2017, Bristol-Myers Squibb, a U.S.-based pharmaceutical company, received the U.S. FDA approval for Opdivo (nivolumab) injection for intravenous use, which is indicated for the treatment of urothelial carcinoma or bladder cancer.