Future Treatments for Cancer, Auto-Immune and Inflammatory Diseases

Cantargia’s market focus

Since IL1RAP is present on a large number of solid tumors, there is potential to utilize Cantargia’s immunooncology platform for treatment of several forms of cancer. Cantargia is focusing the development of nadunolimab (CAN04) on pancreatic cancer, triple-negative breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. In parallel, Cantargia is also developing the project CAN10 with the objective to develop a novel antibody for treatment of myocarditis and systemic sclerosis.

The market for pancreatic cancer

Globally, approx. 495,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer were diagnosed in 2020. In the same year, 466,000 people died from the disease [1]. In the United States, the number of people diagnosed with the disease has increased by nearly 13 per cent over the last 20 years and pancreatic cancer is today the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States [2]. Since pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose, it is also difficult to treat as it is often well-advanced at the time of diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer treatment was valued at approx. USD 2.4 billion in the eight largest markets in 2021 and is expected to grow to approx. USD 4.2 billion by 2026 [3]. This corresponds to an annual growth rate of just over 8 per cent during these years. The growth in this market is mainly due to an increasing number of cancer cases. The number of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is estimated to increase by 60 per cent by 2040 [1]. The increase in the number of cases is in turn caused by an aging population and an increasing incidence of diabetes, both risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer. Improved diagnostics also contribute to the expected market growth as they increase the likelihood of discovering the disease at an earlier stage, thus enabling treatment.

The market for breast cancer

Breast cancer is currently the most common form of cancer. In 2020, approx. 2.3 million new cases were reported, and approx. 685,000 women died from the disease. In 2040, around 3 million women are expected to be diagnosed with the disease and just over one million will die as a consequence of the disease [1].

The global market for breast cancer treatment amounted to approx. USD 17.9 billion in 2021 and is expected to increase to USD 20 billion by 2025, corresponding to an annual growth rate of approx. 13 per cent [4]. The market growth is primarily fueled by an increased disease incidence, but also the need for preventive measures and early treatment.

Approx. 10-15 per cent of breast cancer cases is triple-negative breast cancer. The market for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer is expected to be worth over USD 820 million by 2027 following an annual growth rate of approx. 4.5 per cent between 2020 and 2027 [5].

The market for lung cancer

In 2020, approx. 2.3 million cases of lung cancer were diagnosed globally and more than 1.8 million people died from the disease [1]. Around 85 per cent of all lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer [2], which is subdivided into the squamous and non-squamous subgroups, where the latter is the largest and corresponds to 70-80 per cent of all cases [6]. In the United States, the number of people diagnosed with lung cancer has declined by approx. 27 per cent over the past 20 years, while the number of people diagnosed with this disease is increasing in countries such as China and India, and in European countries such as Hungary, Denmark and Serbia.

Sales of drugs for non-small cell lung cancer totalled USD 20 billion in 2020 and are projected to increase to USD 45 billion by 2027 [7]. Sales are driven mainly by increasing use of various antibody-based immunotherapies. Another important factor contributing to the growth of the global market is the increasing incidence of lung cancer in many countries, as mentioned above.

Number of new cancer cases in the US per 100,000 inhabitants. Source: SEER Cancer Statistics Review

The market for systemic sclerosis and myocarditis

Myocarditis is characterized by inflammation of the muscular tissues of the heart (myocardium) arising from, for example, autoimmunity or various types of infections. Regardless of its etiology, myocarditis is characterized by initial acute inflammation that can progress to subacute and chronic stages, resulting in tissue remodeling, fibrosis, and loss of contractile function. The incidence of myocarditis is approx. 22 per 100,000 (1.7 million) [8], and globally the disease accounts for about 0.6 deaths per 100,000 (46,400) annually [9].

Systemic sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that is mainly characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, as well as blood vessels and internal organs such as the lungs, heart, and kidneys. Systemic sclerosis is a complex, heterogeneous disease that can occur with a variety of clinical manifestations ranging from minor to life-threatening.

The estimated annual incidence of systemic sclerosis is approx. 1.4 per 100,000 [10]. The main cause of death in patients with systemic sclerosis is interstitial lung disease and the medical need is particularly high in these patients. The worth of the pharmaceutical market for systemic sclerosis was estimated to approx. USD 500 million in 2020 and is expected to grow to USD 1.8 billion by 2030 in the seven major markets [11]. This corresponds to an average annual growth rate of 14 per cent.

References

[1] Globocan 2020

[2] American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures

[3] Reportlinker.com, Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Market Research Report - Global Forecast to 2026

[4] Research and Markets, Breast Cancer Drugs Global Market Report 2021

[5] FutureWise, Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment Market By Drug Type, 2020-2027

[6] Paz-Ares et al, N Engl J Med 2018; 379:2040-2051

[7] Reportlinker, Global Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Therapeutics Industry

[8] J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016 Nov 29;68(21):2348-2364

[9] Lancet. 2018;392:1736-88