Kidney Cancer Drugs Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Therapeutic Class (Targeted Therapy, Immunotherapy), By Pharmacologic Class, By Country, And Segment Forecasts, 2016 - 2022

Industry Insights

The global kidney cancer drugs market size was valued at USD 4.4 billion in 2016 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period. The U.S. dominated the scene among the seven major markets. Market growth is largely driven by factors such as availability of novel drugs, presence of strong pipeline, and rise in the incidence of renal cancer due to the growing geriatric population and more prominent smoking habits.

Kidney cancer accounts for 2.0% of total adult malignancies globally and makes up for 3.8% of all new cancer cases in U.S. Renal cell carcinoma accounts for over 90.0% of all kidney cancers while renal pelvis cancer makes up for <10.0% of microscopically confirmed kidney carcinomas. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is the most prevalent subtype of renal cell carcinoma, affecting 70.0% of patients with RCC.

The incidence rate of RCC is highest in North America and Western Europe. Metastatic RCC is present in around 30.0% of patients at the time of diagnosis. Globally, approximately 270,000 new cases are diagnosed every year and around 116,000 deaths per year are due to renal cell carcinoma.

Therapeutic Class Insights

Until the 1980s, treatment of kidney cancer included surgical removal of the kidneys, which later progressed to laparoscopic removal of the tumor-affected part. Drugs are usually given to advanced-stage patients with disease progression. Various forms of cancer treatment methods have been implemented among the currently approved drugs, including immune modulation therapy, cytokine therapy, mTOR inhibitor, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) inhibitor.

Rising preference for novel immunotherapies and immune-oncologic agents will push the use of targeted therapies to specific patient subpopulations or later lines of treatment. Programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors are poised to displace TKIs and mTOR inhibitors as the standard of care in first-and second-line RCC settings. Combination regimens, specifically those including PD-1 inhibitors will be introduced in the first-line setting to target major unmet needs, including overcoming tumor resistance, improving progression-free survival, and maintaining the quality of life.

Pipeline Insights

As kidney cancer is not responsive to traditional cancer treatments, drug development for this disease focuses on using novel treatments. Novel agents have expanded opportunities in the kidney cancer drugs market through a larger number of patients under treatment and better treatment prospects compared to traditional therapies. Some prominent players covered in the segment are Amgen/Allergan, Argos Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Bayer, Exelixis, Incyte, Merck, and Roche.

PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors represent a paradigm shift in kidney cancer treatment. Several PD-1 and PD-L1 agents with novel MoAs are in early development and are being evaluated both as monotherapy and in combination with already approved immuno-oncology agents. The notable clinical profile of immuno-oncology drugs is reflected in their rapid uptake and expansion of indications. 

Country Insights

The U.S. led the market with a share of more than 35.0% in 2016. Increased adoption of therapeutics, established healthcare infrastructure, and the presence of key manufacturers in the country are major factors responsible for its large share. Japan is expected to experience a high growth rate owing to various factors such as multiple product launches in the region during the forecast period and the existence of a large geriatric population base susceptible to kidney cancer.

China offers strong opportunities for market expansion due to the ongoing Healthy China 2020 healthcare reform and the removal of price caps on all medicine categories. The Chinese government has initiated a supportive 12th Five-Year Plan measures targeting biotechnology as a crucial development sector. Additionally, the presence of a large target base with strong unmet clinical needs is expected to drive regional market growth.

Kidney Cancer Drugs Market Share Insights

Major companies operating in this market include Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai, Exelixis, Genentech (Roche), Novartis, Pfizer, and Prometheus Labs. These companies are focusing on product development through clinical collaborations and commercial expansion in emerging markets.

Biosimilar development is gaining traction as a promising market opportunity in kidney cancer therapeutics. Several biotech companies have already launched their Avastin biosimilars across several cancer indications in emerging markets such as India, Russia, and Argentina.

Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2022. For the purpose of this report, Grand View Research has segmented the global kidney cancer drugs market report on the basis of therapeutic class, pharmacologic class, and country:

• Therapeutic Class Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2022)

  • Targeted Therapy

  • Immunotherapy

• Pharmacologic Class Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2022)

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors

  • mTOR Inhibitors

  • Monoclonal Antibodies

  • Cytokine Immunotherapy (IL-2)

• Country Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2022)

  • The U.S.

  • The U.K.

  • France

  • Germany

  • Italy

  • Spain

  • Japan