Oncologists Are Eager for Therapies Extending Overall Survival
Ovarian cancer (CaO) ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system in the United States (American Cancer Society, 2014). In 2012, more than 40,000 cases of advanced CaO were reported across the seven major pharmaceutical markets that we cover (United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Japan). The nonmetastatic patients within this population are treated with curative intent, while the metastatic patients are treated with the goal of slowing disease progression and extending overall survival. Current regimens for first-line advanced CaO include combinations of taxanes (paclitaxel [Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Taxol, generics], docetaxel [Sanofi’s Taxotere, generics]), platinum agents (cisplatin [Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Platinex, generics], carboplatin [Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Paraplatin, generics]), pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD; Janssen Biotech’s Doxil/Caelyx), and one targeted agent (bevacizumab [Roche/Genentech/Chugai’s Avastin]). The emerging therapies considered in the report are all targeted agents (i.e., pazopanib [GlaxoSmithKline’s Votrient], olaparib [AstraZeneca’s AZD-2281], trebananib [Amgen/Takeda’s AMG-386], and nintedanib [Boehringer Ingelheim’s Vargatef]), which are being evaluated in combination with current therapies, most commonly in combination with the paclitaxel + carboplatin regimen. Commercial opportunity awaits emerging targeted agents that can provide greater survival benefits than the current standards of care and add minimal toxicities to the existing chemotherapy regimens used to treat first-line advanced CaO.