Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/13/2014 -- Melanoma is a Highly Heterogeneous Disease

Melanoma is a highly heterogeneous disease comprising Cutaneous Melanoma (CM), Ocular Melanoma (OM), Mucosal Melanoma (MM), melanoma of the internal organs, and, according to some classifications, melanoma of the soft parts (non-bony and non-cartilaginous tissues) of the body. CM is by far the most common form of melanoma, accounting for approximately 90–95% of all melanomas; OM and MM account for approximately 3.7–5.2% and 1.3–1.4%, respectively, while melanomas of the internal organs and soft parts are considered to be very rare, and their exact percentage distribution is unknown (Chang et al., 1998; Jovanovic et al., 2013; Mihajlovic et al., 2012; McLaughlin et al., 2005).

The main categories of melanoma can be further sub-categorized into dozens of disease states with clinically distinct subsets. The genomic landscapes, signaling pathways and immune checkpoints (inhibitory immune system pathways that regulate the duration and amplitude of physiological immune responses) that underlie this heterogeneity are extremely complex. Melanoma is also characterized by significant intratumoral heterogeneity as melanoma cells contain more gene mutations per cell than any other type of cancer (Pimiento et al., 2013).

New Drug Approvals in Recent Years Have Improved Treatment Options and Accelerated Market Growth

Pharmacotherapy is primarily used to treat patients with a high risk of disease recurrence following surgical resection of the melanoma (adjuvant setting) or patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma (advanced setting). Traditionally, melanoma has been perceived as a challenging disease to treat with pharmacotherapy, and treatment options for patients have, until recently, been very limited.

However, in recent years, understanding of the pathophysiology and heterogeneity of melanoma, and particularly CM, has developed considerably. This has led to the approval of several new drug agents indicated for CM since 2011, namely Sylatron (peginterferon alfa-2b) for the adjuvant CM setting, and Yervoy (ipilimumab), Opdivo, (nivolumab), Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Zelboraf (vemurafenib), Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib) for the advanced CM setting. These have demonstrated superior efficacy to previously marketed drugs, and have dramatically improved treatment options for CM patients, leading to unprecedented market growth.

Growing Treatment Population, Increased Uptake of Recently Approved Drugs and New Market Entrants to Ensure Pronounced Market Growth throughout the Forecast Period

The treatment population is projected to rise considerably by 2020, primarily as a result of rising CM incidence rates and improved pharmacotherapy options. In particular, the continued uptake of recent drug approvals, as well as new market entrants, will drive prolific market growth throughout the forecast period. The melanoma pipeline is currently strong, with several promising molecules in development including Polynoma’s seviprotimut-L for adjuvant CM, AstraZeneca’s selumetinib for OM, and Amgen’s talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) as well as Roche and Genentech’s cobimetinib in combination with Zelboraf for advanced CM. Consequently, the melanoma therapeutics market is projected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2013 to $3.6 billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 15.4%, as shown in the following figure.

Spanning over 189 pages, “Melanoma Therapeutics Market to 2020 - Rising Prevalence and Evolving Treatment Algorithms to Drive Market Growth” report covering the Introduction, Marketed Products, Melanoma Pipeline, Market Forecast to 2020, Strategic Consolidations, Appendix.

Know more about this report at – http://www.marketresearchreports.com/gbi-research/melanoma-therapeutics-market-2020-rising-prevalence-and-evolving-treatment-algorithms

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