Players in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Drugs Market Focus on Developing New Drugs for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of primary liver cancer in adults and is currently the most common cause of death in people with cirrhosis. Symptoms include weight loss, upper abdominal pain, or yellowing of the skin (jaundice). It is the fifth most common cancer in the world. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease may significantly increase the risk for developing cancer overall, due to the significantly increased incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have a poor long-term prognosis despite several treatment options such as local ablative therapy, transarterial chemoembolization, systemic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and molecular targeted therapy.

R&D in hepatocellular carcinoma aids in the growth of the hepatocellular carcinoma drugs market. In March 2021, uniQure N.V., a gene therapy company, reported that it is highly unlikely the hepatocellular carcinoma was caused by etranacogene dezaparvovec. The result was the outcome of a comprehensive investigation into the case of hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed in one patient in the HOPE-B pivotal trial of etranacogene dezaparvovec.

R&D in selective internal radiation therapy is also expected to aid in the growth of the hepatocellular carcinoma drugs market. In internal radiation therapy, a radioactive implant is put inside the body in or near the tumor. In March 2021, Sirtex Medical, a manufacturer of targeted liver cancer therapies, received U.S. FDA approval for the DOORwaY90 Study, a trial that evaluates the safety and efficacy of selective internal radiation therapy using SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Combination therapies have demonstrated potential in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. transarterial chemoembolization and local ablative therapy have shown survival benefits for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. In March 2021, Tempest Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage oncology company operating in the hepatocellular carcinoma drugs market, collaborated with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. to evaluate TPST-1120, Tempest’s small molecule PPAR⍺ antagonist, in combination with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and bevacizumab (Avastin) in previously untreated patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.