Actinic Keratosis Treatment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Therapy (Topical, Surgery, Photodynamic Therapy), By Drug Class, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global actinic keratosis treatment market size was valued at USD 6.22 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1% from 2022 to 2030. The market is anticipated to witness growth opportunities owing to factors such as rising prevalence of actinic keratosis and wide presence and easy availability of generic drugs for the treatment of actinic keratosis. Moreover, the market is driven by increasing awareness about actinic keratosis and various strategic initiatives undertaken by industry players. Increasing consumer awareness regarding dermatological diseases, such as actinic keratosis, is a major growth booster for the market. Heightened knowledge about diagnostics and treatment strategies for this disease has driven the widespread adoption of actinic keratosis medications. Field-directed treatments such as 5-fluorouracil, diclofenac, Ingenol mebutate, and Imiquimod are poised to witness greater market penetration over the next few years. Although the products share similar efficacies, the cosmetic outcomes and adverse effects might differ. Photodynamic therapy was observed to be better than cryotherapy in terms of cosmetic outcomes. The easy accessibility and availability of treatments for actinic keratosis is expected to be a significant growth factor for this market.

The prevalence of actinic keratosis is one of the major market drivers. According to News-Medical.net in 2019, the prevalence of actinic keratosis is 37-55% in Australian adults aged over 40. This is linked to high UV exposure to the Australian population with relatively fair skin. Moreover, outdoor sports are very popular in Australia and as a result, they tend to spend their maximum time in the sun. Furthermore, according to News-Medical.net in 2019, it is being found that men are more prone to actinic keratosis than women but it is also linked with other risk factors such as time spent outside in the sun and overall exposure to sun. Furthermore, the overall prevalence of actinic keratosis in the U.S. and the U.K. is estimated to be 26.5% in males and 10.2% in females and 6 15% in males and 6% in females, respectively. 

Increasing geriatric population across the globe is anticipated to fuel the market growth during the forecast period. For instance, according to AMERICA’s HEALTH RANKINGS senior report 2021, it was estimated that more than 54 million adults aged more than 65 live in the U.S. and that population accounted for 16.5% of the total population. Moreover, according to Statista Canada, there were 6,835,866 people aged over 65 in July 2021, accounting for 18% of the total population. Actinic keratosis is expected to have a chance of developing squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, anywhere between 40-60% of squamous cell carcinoma might initiate with the untreated precancerous lesion of actinic keratosis. In January 2022, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, it is estimated that almost 2-10% of actinic keratosis cases result in the development of squamous cell carcinoma within the span of two years. This is likely to result in an increase in the adoption of the available treatment and early diagnosis of the disease.                                              

Key industry players are adopting strategic initiatives such as product launches, partnerships, and expansion strategies to increase their market share. For instance, in September 2021, Almirall, S.A. announced the commercial launch of Klisyri (tirbanibulin) in Germany and the U.K. The company announced this product launch upon receiving approval from the U.K.’s Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Commission for the treatment of actinic keratosis of the scalp and face in adults. Moreover, in December 2020, Almirall, S.A. announced the U.S. FDA approval of Klisyri (tirbanibulin) for the treatment of actinic keratosis. 

Therapy Insights

Surgery held the largest revenue share of over 65.0% in 2021. The surgery segment is likely to maintain its dominance during the forecast period owing to higher penetration of cryotherapy for the treatment of actinic keratosis. However, the topical therapy segment is expected to maintain steady growth due to rising usage of self-usage therapy, growing home-based treatments, and various strategic initiatives are taken up by market players. For instance, in March 2020, Almirall, S.A. announced that USFDA has completed the review filling for the new drug application of terbutaline (ALM147891) for the treatment of actinic keratosis. 

The photodynamic therapy segment is expected to grow at a significant rate over the forecast period. Rising usage of non-invasive therapies and greater efficiency of PDT (photodynamic therapy) in comparison with cryotherapy are factors anticipated to fuel the segment growth. Photodynamic therapy is a preferred treatment for patients with actinic keratosis relapse.

Drug Class Insights

Nucleoside metabolic inhibitor held the largest share of over 30.0% in 2021. The growth of the nucleoside metabolic inhibitors is attributed to the strong commercial performance of Efudex, Carac, and fluroplex. Moreover, the increased awareness regarding actinic keratosis treatment and diagnosis has fueled the growth of the segment. The nucleoside metabolic inhibitors segment growth is also augmented by various strategic initiatives taken up by the industry players. For instance, Hill Dermaceuticals, Inc., a leader in dermatological products, announced that its product Tolak (Flurouracil) 4% cream has been successfully registered in 13 countries of Europe including the U.K., France, Belgium, and Italy.

The photoenhancers segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. The drug class segment is expected to witness robust growth opportunities owing to factors such as rising awareness about actinic keratosis treatment, various strategic initiatives undertaken by market players, and surge in the use of photo-enhancers such as photofrin, Metvix, and Levulan. 

End-use Insights

The hospitals segment held the largest share of over 25.0% in 2021. This is attributed to factors such as treatment rate accessibility, availability of healthcare facilities, and rising photodynamic therapy procedures performed in hospitals. There are several prescription medicines available that are used in performing photodynamic therapy. LEVULAN and KERASTICK are prescription medicines manufactured by DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and are used on skin with blue light treatment (PDT) for the management of minimally to moderately thick actinic keratosis of the scalp, upper arms, and face. 

The homecare segment is expected to register the fastest growth rate during the forecast period. The growth of the homecare segment is attributed to the rising adoption of topical products, patient convenience factors, availability of OTC products, and the increasing launch of products for topical use. The homecare segment has witnessed an increased demand owing to the rising availability of topical products. For instance, Tolak 4% cream manufactured by Hill Pharmaceuticals is a topical prescription medicine used to treat skin lesions of actnic keratosis. 

Regional Insights

North America held a dominant revenue share of over 40.0% in 2021 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance over the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the rising prevalence of actinic keratosis, favorable government initiatives, rising consumer awareness, improvements in healthcare infrastructures, and ongoing technological advancements. The presence of key market players in North America is also one of the key factors responsible for industry growth. In addition, favorable government initiatives and reimbursement policies are expected to boost industry growth.

Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region during the forecast period. An increase in the adoption of treatment, rising consumers’ expendable income, and high disease prevalence in some nations, such as Australia and New Zealand, are some of the key factors driving the market over the forecast period. 

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The presence of a strong product portfolio is expected to maintain a strong share for the companies. The market is highly competitive due to the presence of a large number of industry players worldwide. Moreover, various organic, as well as inorganic developments undertaken by players, are anticipated to fuel industry growth during the forecast period. For instance, in April 2022, Almirall S.A. announced a research collaboration with the University of Dundee for developing novel approaches for common and chronic dermatological disorders. Some prominent players in the global actinic keratosis treatment market include:

• Almirall S.A.

• LEO Pharma A/S

• Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

• Novartis AG

• GALDERMA

• Ortho Dermatologics (Bausch Health Companies Inc.)

• BIOFRONTERA AG

• Hill Dermaceuticals, Inc.

Actinic Keratosis Treatment Market Report Scope

Global Actinic Keratosis Treatment Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-markets from 2018 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global actinic keratosis treatment market report on the basis of therapy, drug class, end-use, and region:

• Therapy Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Topical

  • Photodynamic Therapy

  • Surgery

• Drug Class Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Nucleoside Metabolic Inhibitor

  • NSAIDs

  • Immune Response Modifiers

  • Photoenhancers

  • Others

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Hospitals

  • Private Clinics

  • Homecare

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • Japan

    • China

    • India

    • Australia

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • South Africa

    • UAE