Oncology Drugs Market Report and Forecast 2024-2032

Oncology Drugs Market Outlook

The oncology drugs market size was valued at USD 165.9 billion in 2023, driven by the rising prevalence of personalised medicine across the major markets. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.2% during the forecast period of 2024-2032, with the values likely to rise from USD 187.8 billion in 2024 to USD 506.6 billion by 2032.

Oncology Drugs Market Overview

The market demand is primarily driven by the increasing incidence of cancer across the globe. As per the American Cancer Society, cancer is estimated to affect around 1,958,310 new patients in 2023 and lead to 609,820 cancer deaths in the United States. Breast (15%), lung and bronchus (12%), prostate (15%) and colorectal (8%) cancers are likely to account for approximately 50% of the new cancer cases in the region. While most of the cancer deaths can be associated with lung and bronchus (21%), colorectal (9%), pancreas (8%), breast cancer (7%) followed by the rest of the categories that will account for the remaining 55% share. As a result, there has been rising emphasis on early diagnosis, treatment, and preventing tumor recurrence in patients.

The current oncology drugs market trends involve rising incidence of drug approvals by the regulatory bodies such as the FDA. The increasing integration of novel technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics is a major factor in the growing market size. In addition, the healthcare companies are playing a critical role in fueling increased production of oncology drugs in recent times.

Increased Drug Approvals by Regulatory Authorities

The oncology drugs market demand is influenced by rising number of clinical trials in the market. In December 2023, Merck, a leading healthcare company spanning across multiple domains, received the FDA approval for their drug belzutifan , developed to treat renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer. The drug is branded as Welireg and has been approved on the basis of positive data shown from the late-stage trial. With rising enhancements in the drug development process, the incidence of clinical trials has also increased, aiding growth in the market size.

Growing Collaborations Amongst Key Players

The rising convergence of software and related services into the drug development process is expected to boost the oncology drugs market growth. Several companies are coming together to offer accelerated drug manufacturing. In June 2023, Simulations  Plus, a simulation software and services provider, acquired Immunetrics, Inc. to provide QSP (quantitative systems pharmacology). QSP is a flourishing field in pharmaceutical development as it explains the mechanisms behind disease progression and quantify pharmacodynamics as well as pharmacokinetics using mathematical operations.

In April 2023, Germany based BioNTech signed a partnership with a Chinese biotech company called DualityBio to co-manufacture and commercialize two new cancer antibody drug candidates. The new drugs include DB-1303 and DB-1311, which will be used as a combination therapy for treating solid tumors. DB-1303 (DualityBio’s lead candidate) has also achieved Fast Track designation from the U.S. FDA and is currently in second of three phases of clinical development. The market is experiencing increasing collaborations on a global level, which is expected to fuel market value in upcoming years.

Integration of Artificial Intelligence to Offer Personalized Treatment

The oncology drugs market landscape has been subjected to multiple changes with the advent of new technologies. As cancer indications differ from patient to patient, offering personalized treatment to those affected has been a key area of interest among researchers. In such cases, immunotherapy has emerged as an effective therapeutic alternative. In September 2023, an Oxford based biotech company, Etcembly  developed a generative artificial intelligence enabled immunotherapy drug known as T-cell engagers. These drugs work by bringing white blood cells closer to cancerous cells to facilitate cell death. They are created using a generative AI engine called EMLy, with a vision to activate the body’s natural defense system.

Another artificial intelligence designed cancer drug ISM3091 , which has been developed by Insilico Medicine, inhibits DNA repair of the cancerous cells. The new technology analyses multi-omics datasets for potential drugs and detects molecules that block them. This drug technology is expected to receive USD 80 million from Exelixis in the final quarter of 2023.

Meeting Global Demand for Oncology Drugs with New Approach

The oncology drugs market size is anticipated to increase owing to several initiatives related to reduce waste and promote cost savings. In recent times, redispensing unused oral cancer drugs has proved beneficial as a new approach. In November 2023, Netherlands doctors and healthcare p rofessionals conducted the ROAD Study wherein they asked 1071 cancer patients to return their unused oral cancer to the nearby pharmacies. After verifying the quality and shelf life, they were later sold to other patients. Redispensing unused drugs helped in improving affordability and sustainability of cancer treatment. It resulted in an annual saving of USD 680 to USD 1591  per patient. The net waste reduction decreased by 2.4%, indicating that it may be a viable option for cost saving in the forthcoming years as well.

Oncology Drugs Market Segmentation

Market Breakup by Therapy Type

• Chemotherapy

• Targeted Therapy

• Immunotherapy

• Hormonal Therapy

Market Breakup by Drug Class

• Cytotoxic Drugs

• Alkylating Agents

• Antimetabolites

• Others

• Targeted Drugs

• Monoclonal Antibodies

• Others

• Hormonal Drugs

• Others

Market Breakup by Indication

• Lung Cancer

• Stomach Cancer

• Blood Cancer

• Colorectal Cancer

• Breast Cancer

• Prostate Cancer

• Bladder Cancer

• Others

Market Breakup by Dosage Forms

• Injection

• Tablets

• Others

Market Breakup by End User

• Hospitals and Clinics

• Cancer Research Centers

• Ambulatory Surgical Centers

• Specialty Clinics

• Retail Pharmacies

• Online Pharmacies

Market Breakup by Region

• United States

• EU-4 and the United Kingdom

• Germany

• France

• Italy

• Spain

• United Kingdom

• Japan

Oncology Drugs Market Regional Analysis

The United States, with a robust healthcare infrastructure, is anticipated to lead the market in upcoming years. The oncology drugs market share is boosted by the growing research activities in the region, owing to the presence of prominent academic institutions and healthcare companies. In November 2023, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine led a phase 1 trial for a new radiopharmaceutical drug  ‘225AC-J591’ to treat prostate cancer in men. The radiopharmaceutical is injected and consists of two parts, mainly an antibody called J591, that affects a prostate cancer specific protein.

Oncology Drugs Market: Competitor Landscape

In December 2023, Absci Corporation, a leader in producing generative artificial intelligence antibody partnered with AstraZeneca to deliver AI designed antibodies with the help of Absci’s Drug Creation™ platform. It aims at leveraging AstraZeneca’s oncology expertise and Absci’s de novo AI antibody creation platform to create a new antibody therapy in oncology.

In December 2023, Pfizer completed the acquisition of Seagen for USD 43 billion. This ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) buyout has expanded Pfizer’s oncology pipeline to approximately 60 programs. As per Pfizer’s report, the recent buyout is expected to generate a USD 3.1 billion revenue in 2024. In recent times, ADC therapy developing companies have become a key area of attention amongst leading market players as they emphasize on enhancing the quality of oncological drugs present in the market.

The key features of the oncology drugs market report include patent analysis, grants analysis, clinical trials analysis, funding and investment analysis, partnerships, and collaborations analysis by the leading key players. The major companies added in the report are as follows:

• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

• Novartis International AG

• Pfizer Inc

• Merck & Co., Inc.

• AstraZeneca PLC

• Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

• Johnson & Johnson

• AbbVie Inc.

• Sanofi

• Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

• Eli Lilly and Company

• Celgene Corporation (Now part of Bristol-Myers Squibb)

• Gilead Sciences, Inc.

• Merck KGaA

• Ipsen S.A.

Kindly note that this only represents a partial list of companies, and the complete list has been provided in the report.

Key Highlights of the Report

Oncology Drugs Market Report Snapshots

Oncology Drugs Market Size

Oncology Drugs Market Analysis

Oncology Drugs Companies