Colorectal cancer therapies market to remain constant at $7.7 billion by 2023

Decision Resources Group finds that the market for colorectal cancer (CRC) therapies will remain constant, at around $7.7 billion by 2023 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan. The biosimilar erosion of Roche/Genentech/Chugai's Avastin and Bristol-Myers Squibb/Eli Lilly/Merck KGaA's Erbitux will be balanced out by the launch of Eli Lilly's Cyramza, Taiho Pharmaceutical's Lonsurf, Alchemia's HA-irinotecan and Boehringer Ingelheim's Vargatef, as well as increased uptake of Sanofi/Regeneron's Zaltrap and Amgen/Takeda's Vectibix.

Other key findings from the Pharmacor report entitled Colorectal Cancer:

• Impact of RAS testing on EGFR inhibitors: Extended RAS testing will limit the overall patient population eligible to receive epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. However, first-line EGFR inhibitor prescribing is expected to increase due to the data from the CALGB 80405, FIRE-3 and PEAK trials showing a survival benefit for EGFR inhibitors in wild-type RAS patients.
• Increased competition among angiogenesis inhibitors in second line setting: Prescribing of Zaltrap in the second-line setting has been negatively impacted by Avastin's label extension allowing its use beyond first-line progression. With the forecasted launch of Cyramza in the second-line setting, competition is expected to increase in this setting.
• Increased treatment options in later-line settings: The recent launch of Bayer HealthCare's Stivarga has given patients an additional later-line treatment option. Patients will have a wider array of treatment options with the anticipated launches of Lonsurf and Vargatef.

Comments from Decision Resources Group Analyst Dan Roberts, Ph.D.:

• "Although the introduction of extended RAS testing will decrease the eligible population who ultimately receive these drugs, there will also be a slight increase in the number of patients who receive EGFR inhibition as a first-line treatment."
• "The colorectal cancer market already has five approved targeted agents, with more to be launched over the forecast period. With so much choice, physicians will struggle to determine which sequence of therapies is optimal for their patients."