INTRAOCULAR MELANOMA TREATMENT MARKET ANALYSIS

Intraocular (uveal) melanoma is a rare eye cancer, characterized with blurred vision or a dark spot on the iris. Various treatment options are available for intraocular melanoma, such as eye examinations. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the standard treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, photocoagulation, and thermotherapy. Along with these standard treatments, some other treatments are also being tested in clinical trials. For instance, Nivolumab: an immunotherapy drugs shown to help people suffering from uveal melanoma by increasing patient’s overall immunity, are presently in Phase II clinical study. Additionally, other similar drugs being studied for uveal melanoma include combination of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab, and Selumetinib. Selumetinib is a targeted drug known to slow down the growth of eye melanoma, while nivolumab in combination with lpilimumab are being studied to control uveal melanoma are present in Phase II clinical study.

Moreover, according to American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), individuals belonging to Caucasian race, people with light eye color and fair skin, or any individual and any of their family member having history of suffering from dysplastic nevus syndrome, seem to have a higher risk of developing intraocular melanoma. Moreover, over-exposure to sunlight, a known risk factor for melanoma of the skin, is also a risk factor for intraocular melanoma. These factors in turn, are expected to boost growth of the intraocular melanoma treatment market in the near future.

Intraocular Melanoma Treatment Market Drivers

Advancements in developing innovative treatment options in intraocular melanoma treatments such as understanding the molecular characteristics of intraocular tumor through genetic alternations and mutations studies in patients and novel therapies based on inhibition mechanism of expression of growth factor receptors such as c-Met and c-Kit, are being investigated to bring better treatment options for patients.

Moreover, rampant research pertaining to melanoma, increasing incidence burden of intraocular melanoma, and increasing number of clinical trials for new treatments, in turn, are expected to boost growth of the intraocular melanoma treatment market size over the forecasted period. For instance, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), in 2015, around 3,540 adults (2,130 men and 1,410 women) in the U.S. were diagnosed with primary intraocular cancer. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), 2014 data findings, uveal melanoma is the most commonly diagnosed primary intraocular malignancy in adults, with 90% of uveal melanoma involving the choroid, 5% affecting the ciliary body, and 5% developing in the iris. Additionally, uveal melanoma accounts for 5%-10% of all melanomas. Additionally, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), 2014 data findings, incidence of intraocular melanoma is higher among the fairly pigmented groups while exceedingly lower among Asian and African population.

Furthermore, various key players in this market are engaged in extensive clinical trial and studies to develop effective intraocular melanoma treatments. For instance, in June 2018, Aura Biosciences, a biotechnology company engaged in developing therapies to target and selectively destroy cancer cells using viral capsid conjugates, announced a new interim safety and efficacy data from an open-label Phase 1b/2 study, of AU-011; for the treatment of primary choroidal melanoma. Choroidal melanoma is the most common primary ocular tumor, which develops in the uveal tract of the eye.

Moreover, in May 2018, Immunocore Limited released its phase I/II dose escalation trial of IMCgp100, for metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) treatment, which was presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago on June 4, 2018. Furthermore, patients suffering from metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) treated with IMCgp100 continued to experience effective treatment response.

Intraocular Melanoma Treatment Market Restraints

High cost and negative side effects associated with treatment of intraocular melanoma coupled with poor reimbursement infrastructure are expected to limit growth of the intraocular melanoma treatment market in the near future.

Intraocular Melanoma Treatment Market – Regional Analysis

Geographically, the global intraocular melanoma treatment market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Africa. North America accounted for the major market share in 2017 and is expected to show lucrative growth opportunities in the near future, owing to increasing engagement of various government and private organizations in developing effective treatment options and rising incidence of intraocular melanoma in the region. For instance, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) data in 2016, the mean age-adjusted incidence of uveal melanoma in the U.S. is around 4.3-8.4 new cases per million people per year.

Several research organizations, in the regions are engaged in raising funding for research to develop intraocular melanoma treatment options. For instance, Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF), a Washington-based organization committed to develop effective treatment in various types of melanoma, raised around US$ 1.2 million for ocular melanoma and its treatment, since 2012. Furthermore, in April 2018, the Ocular Melanoma Foundation (OMF), in collaboration with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), offered research funding of US$ 150,000 to researchers at the Casey Eye Institute, to study circulating hybrid tumor cells as a prognostic biomarker for ocular melanoma.

Intraocular Melanoma Treatment Market Competitive Landscape

Some of the key players operating in the intraocular melanoma market are Astra Zeneca plc, Eli Lilly & Co., Pfizer, Inc. Novartis AG, and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Intraocular Melanoma Treatment Market Taxonomy

By Treatment

• Targeted Therapy
• Rituximab (Rituxan)
• Ibritumomab (Zevalin)
• Imatinib (Gleevec)
• Sorafenib (Nexavar)
• Other Therapies

By End User:

• Hospitals
• Specialty Clinics
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers

By Region

• North America
• Latin America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Middle East
• Africa