By the Numbers: The Specialty Drug Pipeline

Jul 18

July 18, 2022

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People may still be getting sick, but specialty drug development has never been healthier. Drugs for diseases previously considered untreatable are flowing through the pipeline, poised to change lives. Stakeholders had better hold on tight: this brave new world will only get bigger and bolder.

Bird’s-eye view

$1.8 trillion: Expected size of the global medicine market in 2026, after a 3-6% annual growth rate between now and then.¹

44%: Dollar share of the Canadian drug market allocated to specialty medicines, up from 29% in 2014.² The figure is set to increase still further.

Almost 8,500: Number of new medicines at various stages of evaluation in 2021, compared to just under 7,000 the previous year.³

5,500: New clinical trial starts reported in 2021, up by 14% from 2020 and by 19% from 2019.⁴

Oncology on top

37%: Share of the pipeline devoted to oncology, the leading area of R&D.⁴

40%: Rare-cancer share of the oncology pipeline.⁴ Most drugs being developed for rare cancers are precision medicines that target specific tumour types.

100: Number of new oncology treatments projected between 2021 and 2026, boosting the total 2026 oncology drug market to more than $300 billion.¹

17: New cancer drugs in Canada in the first half of 2021, compared to 15 for all of 2020.^5,6

Other thriving areas

30: Cell and gene therapies launched globally to date,¹ of which 23 have received FDA approval as of early March 2022.⁷ These therapies are used across a range of therapeutic areas including oncology.

55–56: Cell and gene therapies expected to launch by 2026.¹ The pipeline is overflowing, with over 3,000 cell, gene and RNA therapies in development.⁷

39%: Expected growth of the immunology drug market between 2021 and 2026, driven by new products for psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and asthma.¹

4: Disease areas – migraines, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and rare neurologic conditions – that are expected to drive the rapid acceleration of the neurology market.¹

Meeting a need

> 40%: Proportion of Canadians expected to get a cancer diagnosis at some point in life. About 25% of Canadians will die of the disease, making cancer the leading cause of death in the country.⁸

> 500,000: Number of Canadians living with dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form. The figure is expected to rise to 912,000 by 2030.⁹

72%: Proportion of drugs that received an expedited review by the FDA in 2021, attesting to the strong public need.⁴ Of these, about a quarter received an accelerated approval or emergency use authorization.⁴

64%: Percentage of 2021 new active substance launches in oncology that were approved through an accelerated process.¹⁰

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References

1. The global use of medicines 2022, outlook to 2026. IQVIA. https://www.iqvia.com/-/media/iqvia/pdfs/institute-reports/the-global-use-of-medicines-2022/global-use-of-medicines-2022-outlook-to-2026-12-21-forweb.pdf

2. Pharmafocus 2026. Canadian drugstore and hospital audit. IQVIA. April 2022.

3. Meds pipeline monitor 2021. Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/pmprb-cepmb/documents/npduis/analytical-studies/meds-pipeline-monitor/2021/Meds-Pipeline-Monitor-2021-EN.pdf

4. Global trends in R&D 2022. IQVIA. Feb. 10, 2022. . https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports/global-trends-in-r-and-d-2022

5. Mid-year update. Health products approved in 2021. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/highlights-reports/mid-year-update-2021.html

6. 20Sense Report issue 18. October 2021. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61d708f9587415184afa9452/t/61e5ae7237970d62de943a89/1645544081455/Issue_18_EN_The_20Sense_Report.pdf

7. Getting cell and gene therapies to patients quicker. Oliver Wyman. April 6, 2022. https://health.oliverwyman.com/2022/04/getting-cell-and-gene-therapies-to-patients-quicker.html

8. Cancer statistics at a glance. Canadian Cancer Society. https://cancer.ca/en/research/cancer-statistics/cancer-statistics-at-a-glance

9. Dementia numbers in Canada. Alzheimer Society. https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/what-dementia/dementia-numbers-canada