Small-molecule cancer drug revenues set to reach $27.3 billion in 2015, predicts Visiongain

Rising disease prevalence, along with advances in pharmacotherapy and diagnostics, will stimulate the small-molecule targeted cancer drug market, leading the sector to reach a value of $27.3 billion worldwide in 2015. That overall market generated $20.3 billion sales in 2010, according to Small-Molecule Targeted Cancer Therapies: World Market 2011-2021, published by business information firm Visiongain.

Worldwide, more than 13 million patients were diagnosed with cancer in 2009; there may be 20 million new cases annually by 2025. Syed Ahmed, a senior health care industry analyst at Visiongain, said: "The number of cancer-related deaths is very significant. There is still an under-met need for therapeutic agents that not only prolong the survival of cancer patients but also greatly enhance their quality of life. Anti-cancer drugs - including small-molecule targeted cancer therapies - will remain a crucial part of the pharmaceutical market from 2011 to 2021."

Targeted cancer therapies are agents that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with molecules involved in tumor growth and progression. Most targeted therapies are either small-molecule drugs or monoclonal antibodies. Unlike antibody therapies, small-molecule targeted cancer drugs pass through cell membranes to reach targets inside the cell.