Liver Cancer Therapeutics Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecast (2021 - 2026)

Market Overview

The Global Liver Cancer Therapeutics Market is expected to register a CAGR of 11.2% over the forecast period.

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has diverted resources from healthcare services for patients with diseases such as cancer. COVID-19 also causes organ dysfunction, complicating cancer treatment. With an outbreak of COVID-19 in most countries across the world, modifications of cancer management have been adopted to accommodate the crisis and minimize the exposure of cancer patients to the infection.

According to a research article by Chan S.L. et al., published in Liver Cancer Journal 2020, in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the COVID-19 exacerbates existing chronic liver disease and complicates the management of cancer. Cancer patients have a higher risk of infection and worse outcomes, especially those who recently underwent cancer treatment.

Furthermore, the study found that the COVID-19 pandemic became a major public health challenge to the integrity of healthcare systems in many countries across the world, and its negative impact on medical care for cancer patients is a concern. During the COVID-19 pandemic, adjustment of clinical management is necessary to minimize the patient's risk of the infection and divert resources to handle the outbreak.

The major factors driving the market growth include the rising burden of liver cancer, increasing research and development investments for the development of novel therapies, and government initiatives to increase cancer awareness. The change in the current lifestyle led to the exposure of a large population to certain risk factors that contribute to liver cancer. The risk factors include type 2 diabetes, hepatitis, metabolic disorders, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, and smoking.

According to the GLOBOCAN data, globally, in 2020, there were around 905,677 (4.7%) new liver cancer cases and 830,180 (8.3%) deaths due to liver cancer. Moreover, the high demand for therapeutic drugs for liver cancer will create wide opportunities for the market players to produce more drugs. Thus, the market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period.

There are increasing research and development activities in the development of new therapeutics for liver cancer. For instance, according to National Clinical Trial (NCT) Registry 2020, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd started a phase Ib/II study to assess the efficacy and safety of multiple immunotherapy-based treatment combinations in patients with advanced liver cancers (Morpheus-Liver). The trial started in November 2020, and it is expected to be completed in July 2024.

However, factors, such as side effects associated with certain medications and the high cost of cancer therapies and stringent regulatory scenario, are expected to impede market growth over the forecast period.

Scope of the Report

As per the scope of the report, liver cancer is cancer that begins in the liver cells. It is a chronic, life-threatening, and progressive disorder that begins in the cells of the liver. Liver cancer can be of different types, such as cancer that begins in hepatocyte cells known as primary hepatic cancer and cancer that spreads to the liver from other parts of the body known as metastatic cancer. The global liver cancer therapeutics market is segmented by type (hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, hepatoblastoma, and other types), therapy (targeted therapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East and Africa, and South America). The report offers the value (in USD million) for the above-mentioned segments.

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Key Market Trends

Hepatocellular Carcinoma is Expected to be the Fastest Growing Segment in the Market

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common form of liver cancer, which occurs in people suffering from chronic liver diseases like cirrhosis. Globally, it is one of the major causes leading to cancer-related deaths.

Pharmaceutical companies adopted various strategies to maintain the balance between the supply and demand of liver cancer therapeutics. Health organizations have issued necessary guidelines and recommendations for managing hepatocellular carcinoma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have proposed guidelines. The guidelines include that during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020, patients with chronic liver disease, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and COVID-19 were recommended to admit for inpatient care as per the European Society for Medical Oncology, which shows the positive impact on the market.

Furthermore, several research studies confirmed that patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are at a higher risk of contracting the infection. According to a research study by Giuliana Amaddeo et al., published in JHEP Reports Journal 2021, the study was conducted in 6 referral centers in the metropolitan area of Paris, France, to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The study results found that in a metropolitan area of Paris, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients were highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there was a significantly longer treatment delay in 2020 compared to 2019. This indicates that during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020, the treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients was delayed as healthcare resources were occupied to provide services to COVID-19 patients, which showed a short-term negative impact on segment growth.

According to a research article by Eunsun Kim et al., published in Experimental & Molecular Medicine Journal 2020, stated that globally, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 90% of primary liver cancer, which is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths. The incidence rate associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is increasing, and the global burden of mortality from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is predicted to reach 1 million deaths annually by 2030. It is asymptomatic in its early stage, which significantly delays its timely diagnosis.

It is observed that the Asian and African countries have higher incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma than the developed world due to the disparity in the major risk factors causing hepatocellular carcinoma such as hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in those regions.

The increasing burden of hepatocellular carcinoma is expected to increase a huge demand for liver cancer therapeutics. In August 2018, Eisai Inc. received the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for lenvatinib (Lenvima) for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hence, the rising incidence of cancer and high unmet medical needs are the major factors that drive the segment growth over the forecast period.

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