Apoptosis 2009: Opportunities in Cancer and Other Diseases

Biophoenix Limited
February 6, 2009
312 Pages - SKU: BPH2107588
License type:
Apoptosis 2009:  Opportunities in Cancer and Other Diseases

 
Apoptosis is regarded as the major mode of cell death in cancer and should therefore be considered as a potential target when developing new antineoplastic drugs. An increasing number of companies are doing so, and we anticipate that this approach will pay substantial dividends, both therapeutically and commercially.

This report reviews 370 apoptosis-modulating drug candidates, and reveals a transforming market offering growth potential in cancer and other indications. Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a natural phenomenon and occurs via a tightly regulated complex signalling cascade. Several major classes of drugs on the market - cancer chemotherapeutics, anti-TNF therapies, glucocorticoids - are now known to work, at least partly and/or indirectly, via apoptosis modulation. In cancer and in other diseases, elements of the apoptotic process become dysregulated, offering many direct targets for drug discovery.

This report reveals that many drugs have been reported to induce cancer cell apoptosis in preclinical studies. Traditional chemotherapeutic agents impair cell division and induce apoptosis indirectly. Many of the second generation indirect apoptogens (IAs) in development are biotherapies. They include: monoclonal antibodies, peptides, oligonucleotides, oncolytic viruses, and immunotherapies. The prevalence of indirect apoptotic effects emphasises the importance of screening for apoptotic potential in new anticancer drugs. This is being enabled by the increasing availability of biomarker-based assays of apoptosis.

Cancer is characterized by the (at least) partial suppression of apoptosis, which in turn causes chemotherapy resistance. Of particular interest therefore are direct apoptogens (DAs) designed to overcome treatment resistance due to overexpression of anti-apoptotic genes or downregulation of pro-apoptotic genes. Over one hundred first-in-class DAs directed at one or more of over 40 genes with a direct involvement in apoptosis (identified using the Stanford Research Institute's PANTHER database) are analyzed in this report. The targets include caspases, BCL2 family members, and TP53 (p53). Other targets which are gaining recognition are the proteasome and heat shock proteins (HSPs). Millenium Pharmaceuticals' Velcade is the first proteasome inhibitor (PI) on the US market, and represents the most cancer cell-selective apoptogen approved todate.

We forecast that the market for specific, direct, modulators of apoptosis in oncology will grow from $0.6 billion in 2008 to $12 billion in 2013, an average annual growth rate (AGR) of 64%, when it will represent about 22% of all oncology drug sales. This is well in excess of the AGR for oncology as a whole (which is expected to be almost 14% over the same period). Oncology will itself be the best performing major segment of the overall pharmaceutical market, which will grow at around 6% over the forecast period. Individual forecasts are presented for PIs and other DAs targeting caspases, BCL2 proteins, TP53, and HSPs.

We estimate that indirect modulators of apoptosis (which have varying apoptotic effects, but do not target known apoptotic pathways) comprise around half the oncology market by sales volume and will perform similarly to it, rising from $28 billion in 2008 to $57 billion in 2013, an average AGR of 12%. This corresponds to a fairly constant market share (51% of the oncology market in 2008, falling slightly to 48% by 2013). Forecasts are presented for first generation IAs and for the two main groups of second generation IAs (biologics and small moecules such as kinase inhibitors and hormone antagonists).

Various agents known or suspected to have apoptosis-modulating properties are also in development for indications other than cancer. The two main areas are: CNS disorders (in particular neurodegenerative diseases) and chronic inflammation/autoimmunity (in particular rheumatoid arthritis). Depending on cells being targeted, therapies seek to either promote or interfere with apoptosis. Some of the DAs currently in development for cancer may also find application in the treatment of other diseases.

This report also examines apoptosis-related patents and patent applications filed during the current decade to identify the most prolific filers of patents, technology trends and potential therapeutic applications of apoptosis research.



Additional Information

List of Originator Companies Mentioned


3SBio
4SC
Abbott
AbGenomics
Ablynx
Abraxis BioScience
Access
Advanced Life Sciences
Advanced Viral Research
AEgera
AEterna Zentaris
Aida Pharmaceuticals
Ajinomoto
Alfacell
Amarin
Ambrilia Biopharma
Amgen
AmpliMed
Anacor Pharmaceuticals
Anavex Life Sciences
Antigenics
Antisoma
Aphios
Apogenix
Apollo Life Sciences
ApopLogic Pharmaceuticals
Arana Therapeutics
ARIUS Research
Arno Therapeutics
ArQule
Array BioPharma
Arthrogen
Ascenta Therapeutics
AsterTherix
Astex Therapeutics
Attenuon
Auckland UniServices
AVEO
AVI BioPharma
Basilea Pharmaceutica
Bayer
Bebaas
Bexion
Bioceros
Biogen Idec
BioImage
BioInvent
BioLineRx
Bioniche Life Sciences
Bionovo
Biotecnol
Biotica Technology
Black Lion Pharmaceuticals
Bone Medical
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Cancer Research Technology
Celecure
Celgene
Celonic
Cephalon
Cequent Pharmaceuticals
Ceragenix
ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals
Chroma Therapeutics
Cleveland BioLabs
CoGenesys
Colby
CombinatoRx
Coronado Biosciences
Cosmo Pharmaceuticals
Cougar Biotechnology
Critical Outcome Technologies
Cronos Therapeutics
CrystalGenomics
Curis
Cyclacel
Cylene Pharmaceuticals
Cytavis
Cytochroma
Cytomics Pharmaceuticals
CytRx
D-Pharm
Dabur Pharma
Daewoong
Daiichi Sankyo
Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma
Digna Biotech
Eisai
Eleos
Ensemble Discovery
EntreMed
Enzon
EpiCept
Erimos
ESBATech
Evotec
Exelixis
Fluofarma
ForHumanTech
Gemin X Biotechnologies
GeminiX
Genaera
Genentech
Genextra
Genta
Genzyme
Geron
GlaxoSmithKline
Gloucester Pharmaceuticals
GlycoGenesys
HanAll Pharmaceutical
Henogen
Hoffmann-La Roche
Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals
Human Genome Sciences
Hy BioPharma
IC-MedTech
Ikaria
IMED
Infinity Pharmaceuticals
InNexus Biotechnology
Insmed
Introgen Therapeutics
InvivoGen Therapeutics
Ipsen
IRX Therapeutics
Johnson & Johnson
Kalypsys
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals
Kirin Pharma
Kowa
La Jolla Pharmaceutical
Leo
LG Life Sciences
Locus Pharmaceuticals
Logical Therapeutics
Maas BiolAB
MDRNA
Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical Enzymes
Medisyn Technologies
Metabolic Research
MethylGene
Migenix
Momenta Pharmaceuticals
Morvus Technology
multimmune
Myriad Genetics
NeoPharm
Nereus Pharmaceuticals
Nerviano Medical Sciences
Neuren
NexGenix Pharmaceuticals
Nidus Laboratories
NIH
Non-industrial source
Novartis
Novogen
OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals
Oncolytics Biotech
Onconova
OncoVista
Orchid Pharmaceuticals
Oscotec
Othera Pharmaceuticals
OXiGENE
Patrys
PDL BioPharma
Pfizer
Pharmacyclics
PharmaMar
Pharminox
Phynova
Phytomedics
Pierre Fabre
Piramal
Progen
ProMetic Life Sciences
Proteolix
Protherics
Reata Pharmaceuticals
RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals
Rigel
Rosetta Genomics
Rottapharm
RxBio
Sanofi-Aventis
Santen
Santhera Pharmaceuticals
Sapporo Medical University
SBIO
Semafore Pharmaceuticals
Senesco Technologies
Sigma-Tau
Sirion Therapeutics
Spirogen
SRI International
Stelic Institute
StormBio
SuperGen
Synergene Biotechnology
Synta Pharmaceuticals
Takeda
Targa Therapeutics
Targeted Genetics
Telik
Thallion Pharmaceuticals
Theralogics
Theraptosis
TopoTarget
Toyama
Trophos
Trubion
UMN Pharma
University of Arkansas
Uriach
Vascular Biogenics
Vernalis
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
VioQuest
Viragen
Viralytics
Viron Therapeutics
ViroTarg
VM Discovery
Xencor
Xigen
York Pharma
Ziopharm
ZymoGenetics