Cancer Cachexia Market Size

Cancer Cachexia Market Analysis

The Cancer Cachexia Market size is estimated at USD 2.72 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 3.34 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.19% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

The COVID-19 outbreak impacted the cancer cachexia market, as hospitals and healthcare services were significantly reduced due to social distancing measures enforced globally. The COVID-19 pandemic also affected the global economy and impacted general hospital care for non-COVID-19 patients in hospitals worldwide. According to a research article published in the British Journal of Nutrition, 2020, changes in nutritional status and weight loss during hospitalization are largely reported in some populations. However, it was not completely explored in COVID-19 patients. During the pandemic, the symptoms and associated conditions of COVID-19 deteriorated nutritional status, leading to cachexia. Cancer patients were at a higher risk of being infected with COVID-19, as they are immunocompromised, and their ability to fight against the infection was very low compared to other individuals. Additionally, if a cancer patient developed a COVID-19 infection, there were higher chances of developing multiple organ-related complications or cachexia. Hence, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the market significantly in it's preliminary phase, however currently the market is expected to have a favorable growth in the forecast period as the COVID-19 has subsided.

The increasing prevalence of cancer and cancer cachexia cases and the increasing investment in the R&D activities for developing novel therapeutics in the treatment of cancer cachexia are the major factors driving the market.

The global cancer burden is increasing. Thus, cancer therapies must be modified according to regional and national priorities. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in December 2020, globally, 1 in 5 people develop cancer during their lifetime, and 1 in 8 men and 1 in 11 women die from the disease. According to the data published by WHO in February 2022, approximately 400,000 children develop cancer every year and the most common cancers vary between countries. Cervical cancer is the most common in 23 countries. Hence, the increasing burden of cancers worldwide also increases the prevalence of cancer cachexia among cancer patients, which is characterized by systemic inflammation, negative protein and energy balance, and an involuntary loss of lean body mass.

Due to this factor, most of the major players are focused on R&D activities to develop highly effective novel drugs in the treatment of cancer cachexia. This factor resulted in an increased pipeline of therapeutics waiting for approval and commercial launch post-approval. For instance, clinicaltrials.gov reported that, as of October 2022, a total of 150 studies were conducted or were being conducted to develop drugs that treat cancer cachexia. In December 2020, a clinical study was initiated by University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with Zealand University Hospital, the study was conducted to monitor the effect of medical cannabidiol on lean body mass (cachexia) in patients receiving Oxaliplatin- or Paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. Moreover, in January 2021, Helsinn Group and Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd received the manufacturing and marketing approval of Adlumiz in Japan. It is a ghrelin receptor agonist to treat cancer cachexia in malignant tumors of non-small cell lung cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, or colorectal cancer.Hence, the increasing research and development activities for cancer cachexia is expected to drive the growth of the market.

However, manufacturers of cancer cachexia drugs are discouraged from investing in the market because of the strict regulatory requirements and the long FDA approval procedure, which may impede the long-term growth of this market.