Apoptosis Market Report
Publisher:
Select Biosciences
Published:
February 2009
Pages: 310
Market background
The main application of apoptosis research is presently in cancer treatment.
It should be noted that this market isone of the largest and fastest growing
sectors of the pharma industry. Of the 370 pipeline agents identified in
Apoptosis 2009: Opportunities in Cancer and Other Diseases, 80% are anticancers.
This report segments the apoptosis-related cancer market into:
a. direct apoptogens (apoptosis-inducing drugs known, during
their development, to have apoptosis-related molecular targets)
b. first generation indirect apoptogens (established drugs
such as cytotoxics which have turned out to rely onapoptosis for part of their
efficacy)
c. second generation indirect apoptogens (recently
introduced and pipeline drugs with non-apoptotic targets which nevertheless have
apoptotic effects).
Opportunities for apoptosis modulators in indications such as CNS disorders
and chronic inflammation/autoimmunity are also explored.
Key Features
- Examination of the molecular events in apoptosis which may become
dysregulated, providing opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
- Description of morphological criteria for detecting apoptosis, as well as
recent methodologies based on detecting specific biological aspects and
biomarkers.
- Analysis of 370 apoptosis-modulating drug candidates (9% in Phase 3 or
later) from 233 originating companies. These drugs target 148 known gene
targets, of which the top 15 are shown in Figure 1.3 from the report, as
reproduced below.
- Deployment of Stanford Research Institute's PANTHER Classification System to
identify gene targets with a validated role in apoptosis.
- Analysis of 4,872 apoptosis-related patents and patent applications to
identify technology trends and potential therapeutic applications.
- Forecasts for the overall oncology-based apoptosis market, and its
individual sectors.
Key Benefits
- Utilize biomarker and drug target information in this report to discover and
develop drugs with apoptosis-modulating properties.
- Identify emerging areas of opportunity for apoptosis modulators in cancer,
CNS diseases, and chronic inflammation/autoimmunity.
- Gain up-to-date competitive intelligence on apoptosis-modulating pipelines
and identify the most promising drugs under development.
- Identify the leading originator companies developing apoptosis-modulating
drugs.
- Use the patent analysis presented in this report to identify leading
assignees, most influential patents and unexploited indications for apoptosis
modulation.
- Devise a commercial strategy leveraging apoptosis by utilizing market
forecasts for the oncology-based apoptosis market to 2013.
Key Issues Raised
- The ideal of cancer therapy is to promote apoptosis of cancer cells.
Traditional chemotherapeutic agents (first generation indirect apoptogens)
trigger events which result in apoptosis of cancer cells. However,they also kill
normal cells. Second generation indirect apoptogens may be less toxic to normal
cells.
- Wide prevalence of indirect apoptotic effects suggests that it is always
worth screening for apoptotic effects of new anticancer drugs. Wider application
of validated biomarkers of apoptosis in preclinical and clinical trials of new
drugs is thus highly desirable
- The utility of current anticancer therapies is limited by drug resistance,
either intrinsic or acquired. Direct apoptogens target overexpressed
anti-apoptotic proteins or downregulated pro-apoptotic proteins responsible for
therapy resistance.
- Neurodegenerative diseases represent an area of unmet clinical need. No
therapy for neuroprotection is currently marketed, but new apoptosis-modulating
drugs in development show promise.
- Existing treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions
(anti-TNF therapies andglucocorticoids) may act partly via apoptosis modulation.
However, new apoptosis-modulating therapies with improved specificity are
needed.
Key Findings
- In our survey of the apoptosis drug landscape, we identified 370 drugs aimed
at 148 known gene targets. HSP90 (heat shock protein 90) is numerically the most
popular target overall.
- Seventy-six percent of all apoptosis-modulating drugs in development are
anticancers, including 27 radio/chemosensitizers (7%). The overall apoptosis
market is forecast to grow from $28 billion in 2008 to $57 billion in 2013.
- Of particular interest are first-in-class direct apoptogens (over 100 agents
identified) which target elements of the apoptotic pathway (over 40 genes). The
global market for direct apoptogens is forecast to grow from $606 million in
2008 to $12 billion in 2013.
- The leading subgroups of the direct apoptogens market are: proteasome
inhibitors; modulators of heatshock proteins; TP53-targeted agents;
caspase-targeted agents: BCL2-targeted agents; and multi-target apoptogens.
- Eighteen percent (65) of all apoptosis-modulating drugs in development are
anti-inflammatory, and 6% (24) are CNS targeted. Our survey of apoptosis-related
patents suggests that future drugs will also target infectious
disease.
Key Questions Answered
What types of apoptosis-modulating
drugs are on the market?
Which companies are leading the way in the
development of apoptosis- modulating drugs?
Which assays and biomarkers are
increasingly used to define apoptosis during drug development?
Why should all
new anticancer drugs be screened for apoptotic effects?
How is the apoptosis
drug target landscape shaping up?
What are the most popular targets of direct
apoptogens in development for the treatment of cancer?
How is the global
cancer apoptosis market segmented and how are these sectors expected to perform
over the period 2008-13?
What progress is being made in developing
apoptosis-modulating drugs for the treatment of CNS diseases and
inflammation/autoimmunity?
What is the nature of the apoptosis-related patent
landscape?
For enquiries about this market report, please contact Jeff Fan at
j.fan@selectbio.com
