Asia Pacific Liver Cancer Market

APAC Liver Cancer Market Analysis

The Asia Pacific Liver Cancer Market is expected to register a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period.

The emergence of COVID-19 had a major impact on patients with diseases other than COVID-19 due to the high burden on healthcare resources, owing to the increasing infection rate of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The liver cancer market was also impacted by the pandemic as it delayed or rescheduled diagnostics and treatment procedures. There was a decline in footfall in hospitals for treatment and diagnostics of new cancer cases as people with comorbidity were at higher risk of COVID-19. For instance, according to a research study published in NCBI in February 2021, the standard treatment of patients with liver cancer was significantly impacted by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the decreasing COVID-19 cases and large-scale vaccination programs, the liver cancer market has reached its pre-pandemic level growth.

The major factors driving the market's growth include the rising burden of liver cancer, increasing R&D investments for developing novel therapies along with government initiatives to increase cancer awareness. For instance, in May 2022, a research study published by BioMed Central Ltd stated that in India more than 40% of the total cancer burden was contributed by the seven leading cancer sites including liver cancer contributing to 4.6%. Besides, around 6% of liver cancer cases resulted in a disability-adjusted life year (DALY) in males. Thus, the increasing prevalence of liver cancer is expected to create demand for advanced diagnostics and therapeutics which is expected to contribute to the market's growth over the forecast period.

Moreover, the increasing research activities and funding in the area are further expected to boost the market growth. For instance, in February 2022, Edith Cowan University of Australia received USD 2.35 million to support a new form of radiotherapy treatment for liver cancer and to conduct trials in several locations across Australia over the next five years. Hence, the huge burden of liver cancer and its risk factors, coupled with ongoing R&D activities, is expected to boost the market's growth over the forecast period.

However, factors such as side effects associated with certain medications, the high cost of cancer therapies, and stringent regulatory scenarios are expected to restrain the market growth over the forecast period.

APAC Liver Cancer Market Trends

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Segment is Expected to Witness Significant Growth over the Forecast Period

A hepatocellular carcinoma is a common form of liver cancer that occurs in people suffering from chronic liver diseases like cirrhosis. It is one of the major causes leading to cancer-related deaths. Health organizations had issued necessary guidelines and recommendations for managing hepatocellular carcinoma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, as per the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) proposed guidelines, the COVID-19 pandemic patients with chronic liver disease, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and COVID-19 were recommended to admit for inpatient care. This had a positive impact on the market.

Furthermore, the prevalence rate of liver cancers is rising, which in turn, is driving the market growth. For instance, according to the NLM's data published in October 2021, liver cancer is common cancer, especially in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. The same source also stated that one of the highest incidence rates of liver cancer was in Asia in 2021. The highest number of cases was in China due to a high incidence rate of 18.3 per 100,000 in 2021. Additionally, the same source stated that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), comprising 75% to 85% of primary liver cancer cases, is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The source further added that Asian and African countries have higher incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma than the developed world due to the disparity in the major risk factors causing diseases such as hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in these regions. Thus, increasing cases of cancer cases are driving the growth of the market.

China is Expected to Hold a Significant Share in the Market over the Forecast Period

The major factors driving the market growth in China include the rising incidence of liver cancer in the country and the presence of key market players offering novel products.

The high burden of liver cancer in the country is expected to be the primary factor for the market's growth. With the increase in liver cancer burden, the adoption and demand for treatment procedures increase in the country. This is expected to support market growth. For instance, according to the March 2022 published article in the Chinese Medical Journal, an estimated 431,383 people in 2022 were diagnosed with liver cancer in China. Thus, the high burden of liver cancer is fuelling the market's growth. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents approximately 90% of all cases of primary liver cancer and develops predominantly in those people with cirrhosis, or scarring, due to chronic hepatitis B or C. This is expected to have a positive impact on the liver cancer therapeutics market. Thus, the high burden of liver cancer is fueling the market's growth.

Furthermore, in China, approvals of novel therapeutics for liver cancer are also expected to drive market growth. For instance, in October 2022, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved the expanded use of Eli Lilly and Innovent Biologics' Cyramza to treat certain patients with a type of liver cancer. Thus, such approvals are expected to increase market growth in the country over the forecast period.

Therefore, the increased incidence of liver cancer in China with the availability of liver cancer treatment is expected to drive the market over the forecast period.

APAC Liver Cancer Industry Overview

The Asia-Pacific liver cancer market is highly competitive due to the presence of a large number of companies. The competitive landscape includes an analysis of a few international and local companies that hold significant market shares. Some of the players operating in the market are Abbott Laboratories, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Boston Scientific Corporation, Siemens AG (Siemens Healthineers), Bayer AG, Merck & Co. Inc., Sanofi SA, Novartis AG, Epigenomics AG, Pfizer Inc. among others.

APAC Liver Cancer Market Leaders

APAC Liver Cancer Market News

• In January 2022, Merck received conditional liver cancer treatment approval for its drug Keytruda based on its second confirmatory study.
• In January 2022, the LAUNCH trial conducted in China supported a potential new first-line treatment option for selected patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).