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With the number of new prostate cancer cases rising in the US since 2014 according to the CDC, the market for therapies to treat the cancer is increasing.
And the number of cases around the world is growing as well. The worldwide prostate cancer therapeutics market was estimated at $15.2B in 2021 and is expected to increase to $24.9B by 2030, according to Nova One Advisor. The consulting firm added the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.4% between 2022 and 2030.
With this strong growth ahead, here are the pharma and biotech companies best positioned to benefit from this trend.
Novartis
In March, Novartis (NVS) won US FDA approval for the newest prostate cancer therapy, Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan). It is approved for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
The radioligand therapeutic doesn’t come cheap. The wholesale acquisition price is $42,500 per injection and patients can receive a maximum of six shots.
As a later-stage therapy, Novartis (NVS) CEO Vas Narasimhan earlier this year said Pluvicto is a $500M-$750M treatment. But if it is eventually approved in earlier lines of treatment, the exec predicted revenue could be three to four times that range.
Pfizer
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) sells two drugs for the condition, Xtandi (enzalutamide) and Orgovyx (relugolix). Xtandi, a androgen receptor inhibitor, was developed with Astellas Pharma (OTCPK:ALPMF) (OTCPK:ALPMY), while Orgovyx, an androgen deprivation therapy, was developed with Myovant Sciences (MYOV).
Xtandi is a high-selling drug for Pfizer (PFE), earning $290M in revenue in Q2 2022 alone. The company didn’t disclose Orgovyx revenue.
In phase 3, Pfizer (PFE) is examining Xtandi in combination with its breast cancer drug Talzenna (talazoparib) for two types of metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) Janssen unit markets two treatments, Erleada (apalutamide) and Zytiga (abiraterone acetate). The former is an androgen receptor inhibitor while the latter is a CYP17 inhibitor used in combination with prednisone.
Erleada is approved for both metastatic and non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, while Zytiga is approved for metastatic castration-resistant and metastatic high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer.
In Q2, Erleada had worldwide sales of $450M, while Zytiga brought in $505M.
In the pipeline, J&J is examining Erleada in phase 3 for high risk prostate cancer.
Bayer
Nubeqa (darolutamide) and Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride) are two key prostate cancer treatment from Bayer (OTCPK:BAYZF). Nubeqa, the newer of the two drugs, is an androgen receptor inhibitor, while Xofigo is considered an alpha particle-emitting radioactive therapeutic agent.
In Q2 2022, Bayer (OTCPK:BAYRY) had Nubeqa sales of €105M (~$101.8M).
In phase 3, the German pharma is investigating Nubeqa for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.
AbbVie
AbbVie’s (NYSE:ABBV) Lupron Depot (leuprolide acetate), a gonadotropin releasing hormone, is approved for both advanced prostate cancer and endometriosis.
In Q4 2021, the company’s Lupron franchise brought in $192M globally.
In January, research and advisory company Technavio said that the global leuprolide acetate market is expected to grow by ~$1B from 2021 to 2026 and achieve a ~10.4% year-over-year growth rate in 2022.
Amgen
Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) is not a significant player in prostate cancer yet, but that could change in the next few years. The biotech has four new molecular entities in development for prostate cancer. All are in phase 1.
Three of them are known as bispecific T cell engager (BiTE) molecules. According to Amgen, the BiTEs “are designed to form a bridge between cancer cells and cytotoxic T cells—white blood cells that can destroy other cells that pose a threat.”
These candidates are tarlatamab for neuroendocrine prostate cancer, acapatamab, and AMG 340. AMG 509 is a bivalent Tcell engager XmAb antibody.
Image and article originally from seekingalpha.com. Read the original article here.