Hepatocellular carcinoma set to see big pharma competition

The market for targeted therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still sparse and homogeneous in terms of MOAs and combinations, providing an opportunity for pharma and biotech developers to capture some of this market with diverse novel agents, according to data and analytics company GlobalData.

Between 2007 and 2018, Bayer’s (BAYN: DE) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Nexavar (sorafenib) was the only targeted therapy approved for first-line hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While TKIs dominate in the first line, the second-line setting includes drugs with other mechanisms of action (MOAs) such as Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (NYSE: BMY) PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab).

Lisa Kent, healthcare analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Currently the standard of care for unresectable HCC prolongs survival by just three months, therefore better alternative treatment options are needed. 2018 has seen a wave of approvals of Eisai [TYO: 4523] and Merck & Co’s [NYSE: MRK] TKI Lenvima (lenvatinib) in Japan, the US, the EU, South Korea, and China in first-line HCC, which means that Bayer is now at risk of losing a significant slice of this market.”