Immuno-oncology (IO) will be a crucial cancer treatment option alongside four other options, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other targeted treatments, according to a report by GlobalData.
Titled ‘Pharma Focus Visual Analysis of Immuno-Oncology Development and Opportunities’, the report terms IO to be the fifth pillar of cancer treatment alongside the other four treatment types.
The conclusion was derived based on the analysis of more than 4,000 clinical trials and 800 IO products in various phases of clinical trials.
Many treatments in immune-oncology utilise the immune system to induce an anti-tumour response, through the inhibition of immune checkpoint proteins, in order to achieve tumour stabilisation and potential remission from the disease.
IO’s ability to harness the immune system’s natural processes to cure cancer is driving its clinical and market potential, as well as enabling IO therapies to compete with monotherapies against traditional standard-of-care (SOC) chemotherapy regimens. Furthermore, IO drugs have shown efficacy in multiple indications and are less toxic.
More patients are hoped to benefit from the improved long-term survival outcomes of the combination of IO agents with other IO agents, targeted therapies, or chemotherapy regimens, according to Maxime Bourgognon, Senior Healthcare Analyst at GlobalData.
