Global Oncology Innovation Continues Despite Pandemic; Global R&D Pipeline Reached 3,500 New Drugs in 2020, up 75% from 2015, Says New Report from the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science

Rhea-AI Summary

The IQVIA Institute's Global Oncology Report highlights a significant impact of COVID-19 on cancer care, with oncologists reporting 26% to 51% fewer cases than pre-pandemic levels. Despite these challenges, the oncology sector saw 3,500 new drugs in development, reflecting a 75% increase since 2015. In 2020, 17 innovative cancer drugs were launched globally, and oncology spending reached $164 billion, projected to rise to $269 billion by 2025. The report emphasizes the ongoing commitment of the global oncology community to enhance patient care despite the ongoing pandemic challenges.

Positive

• 3,500 new cancer drugs in the pipeline, up 75% since 2015.
• 17 new innovative cancer drugs launched globally in 2020.
• Global spending on oncology medicines reached $164 billion in 2020, expected to grow to $269 billion by 2025.

Negative

• COVID-19 continues to severely affect cancer treatment, with oncologists reporting 26% to 51% fewer cases.
• Delays in necessary treatments and screenings below baseline levels.

Despite the substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient care during 2020, the scientific advances in oncology continued, with 3,500 new drugs in the pipeline in 2020, up 75 percent since 2015. Oncologists worldwide report caseloads that are 26 to 51 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels, resulting in delays in necessary treatments. Despite this, the surge in innovative cancer medicines continued, as reflected in clinical trial activity, the robust pipeline of new treatments in development, and the increased use of available therapeutics by more patients.

“While the pandemic still is having significant impact on cancer care, innovations in oncology continues largely unaffected, reflecting the substantial and sustained commitment to advancing care for patients by oncologists and other care providers, governments and payers, and life sciences companies,” said Murray Aitken, executive director of the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science. “The continued surge in new innovative cancer medicines demonstrates the remarkable capacity and ingenuity of the global oncology community in a very challenging environment.”

A few key highlights of the IQVIA Institute Global Oncology Report include:

• Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care: The pandemic continues to have a substantial impact on cancer care with oncologists in the U.S., Japan and Europe reporting caseloads that are 26 to 51 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels, delays in necessary treatments, screenings at 11 to 23 percent below baseline levels and community oncologists in the U.S. reporting an increasing share of their new patients presenting with metastatic cancer

• Innovation: The surge of new innovative cancer medicines that began a decade ago continued in 2020 with 17 new drugs being launched and made available – at different times - to patients around the world, especially those with rare cancers

• Research and Development: Scientific breakthroughs in understanding rare cancers that lead to novel therapeutics, and a biomedical eco-system that provides funding and support for R&D especially among emerging biopharma companies, have resulted in a pipeline of almost 3,500 potential cancer treatments, up 75 percent since 2015

• Bringing Scientific Advances to Cancer Patients: Access to medicines has been steadily increasing and 9.2 billion DDDs were delivered globally in 2020, but variability across countries remains high. The use of predictive biomarkers to effectively deliver precision medicines to those who will benefit from them remains variable across cancer types and countries

• Spending on Oncology Medicines: The surge in innovation treatments in recent years, strong focus across health systems to increase early diagnosis and expand patient access to treatments, has resulted in global spending on oncology drugs of $164 billion in 2020, growing to an estimated $269 billion by 2025

The full version of the report, including a detailed description of the methodology, is available at www.IQVIAInstitute.org. The study was produced independently as a public service, without industry or government funding.

About the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science

The IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science contributes to the advancement of human health globally through timely research, insightful analysis and scientific expertise applied to granular non-identified patient-level data.

Fulfilling an essential need within healthcare, the Institute delivers objective, relevant insights and research that accelerate understanding and innovation critical to sound decision making and improved human outcomes. With access to IQVIA’s institutional knowledge, advanced analytics, technology and unparalleled data, the Institute works in tandem with a broad set of healthcare stakeholders to drive a research agenda focused on Human Data Science, including government agencies, academic institutions, the life sciences industry, and payers. More information about the IQVIA Institute can be found at www.IQVIAInstitute.org.

About IQVIA

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) is a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry. IQVIA creates intelligent connections across all aspects of healthcare through its analytics, transformative technology, big data resources and extensive domain expertise. IQVIA Connected Intelligence™ delivers powerful insights with speed and agility — enabling customers to accelerate the clinical development and commercialization of innovative medical treatments that improve healthcare outcomes for patients. With approximately 72,000 employees, IQVIA conducts operations in more than 100 countries.

IQVIA is a global leader in protecting individual patient privacy. The company uses a wide variety of privacy-enhancing technologies and safeguards to protect individual privacy while generating and analyzing information on a scale that helps healthcare stakeholders identify disease patterns and correlate with the precise treatment path and therapy needed for better outcomes. IQVIA’s insights and execution capabilities help biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, medical researchers, government agencies, payers and other healthcare stakeholders tap into a deeper understanding of diseases, human behaviors, and scientific advances, in an effort to advance their path toward cures. To learn more, visit www.iqvia.com.

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FAQ

What is the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care according to the IQVIA report?

The IQVIA report indicates a 26% to 51% reduction in oncologist caseloads due to COVID-19.

How many new innovative cancer drugs were launched in 2020?

In 2020, 17 new innovative cancer drugs were launched globally.

What is the projected global spending on oncology medicines by 2025?

Global spending on oncology medicines is projected to reach $269 billion by 2025.

How many potential cancer treatments are currently in the pipeline?

There are almost 3,500 potential cancer treatments in the pipeline, a 75% increase since 2015.