Immuno-oncology, an approach that relies on the body’s immune system to identify, target and eliminate cancer cells, is undoubtedly the new frontier in the fight against cancer. Unlike traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which target both cancerous and healthy cells and often lead to significant side effects, immuno-oncology treatments offer a more precise and less toxic approach by selectively enhancing the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.
This new therapeutic modality includes a variety of treatments, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cell therapies (capable of fighting leukaemias, lymphomas and myelomas) cancer vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, each designed to engage the immune system in different ways to recognise and attack tumours.
The benefits of immuno-oncology
The increasing adoption of these therapies is driven by their ability to achieve durable responses, even in cases of advanced or metastatic cancer where traditional therapies have failed. As a result, immuno-oncology is gaining ground as a first-line and combination therapy for various cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, breast cancer and haematological malignancies.
The rapid growth of the immuno-oncology market is further fuelled by the increasing number of clinical trials, R&D investments and regulatory approvals of new therapies. Breakthroughs such as the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab (trade name Keytruda produced by the Merck Group) and nivolumab (trade name OpdivO developed by Bristol Mayer Squibb), have set new standards in cancer therapy, demonstrating important survival benefits and transforming the therapeutic landscape for several oncology indications.
A fast-growing market
The success of these therapies has led to increased research and development activities focused on exploring new immune targets, combination strategies and immunotherapies tailored to individual patient profiles.
As pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and biotech companies continue to invest heavily in immuno-oncology research, the market is poised for rapid expansion and new breakthroughs in cancer treatment.
The new cornerstone of cancer therapy
Increasing acceptance of IO therapies by oncologists and their integration into standard treatment protocols are cementing the role of immuno-oncology as a cornerstone of modern cancer therapy, driving growth and market adoption on a global scale. The growth of the global immuno-oncology market is driven by several key factors, including the increase in cancer cases, advances in immunotherapy research and the adoption of combination therapies.
Immuno-oncology therapies offer a promising alternative to traditional cancer treatments, with the potential to provide durable responses and even long-term remissions in some cases. But immuno-oncology treatments are extremely expensive, especially in the early stages, and remain largely unaffordable for two-thirds of the world’s population.
The analysis of the European Patent Office
From the point of view of the cost-benefit ratio, we are witnessing an inversely proportional trend: expenditure on research and the resulting patents are increasingly public but the products marketed are the prerogative of private companies (mainly the big pharma giants), which almost always buy the companies that initially play the role of start-ups and bear the risk associated with the initial phases of experimentation.
The evidence emerges from a very recent study by the European Patent Office:
the trend, which is strongly accelerating for both therapies and diagnostics, shows that almost half of the applications are attributable to universities and public research organisations, which also represent seven of the largest global applicants.
The boom in treatment costs
It is therefore becoming increasingly urgent to reflect on the management model of innovation processes for these types of treatment. According to a report on global oncology trends, the market for cancer drugs in 2026 could reach a record $300 billion with an increase over 2022 of more than 62%. The cost of an average therapy amounts to around $100,000 per year with the median value of the drugs continuing to rise despite the fact that some of the products have long since reached maturity, according to international analyses.
In the US, this has risen in just ten years from $1932 in 1995-1999 to $14,950 in 2995-2019.
