Report

Global metastatic colorectal cancer market is projected to witness a CAGR of 3.58% during the forecast period 2024-2031, growing from USD 3.91 billion in 2023 to USD 5.18 billion in 2031F. The increasing prevalence of colorectal cancer due to low intake of fruits and vegetables, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, obesity, and high intake of processed meats is providing lucrative growth opportunities to the market.
Growth of the metastatic colorectal cancer market is driven by various factors including increased spendings towards healthcare sector, rising support from various governments across the globe, growing research and development activities, and rising efforts towards development of novel diagnostic techniques and enhancement of existing techniques. Increasing awareness, ageing population, and rising government initiatives to provide affordable treatment and diagnostic solutions in combination with the presence of favorable reimbursement policies providing lucrative growth opportunities to the market.
Increasing approval for various diagnostic and treatment solutions by different regulatory bodies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is further supporting the market expansion. For instance, in 2023, the FDA approved Foundation Medicine's FoundationOne Liquid CDx as a companion diagnostic for encorafenib combined with cetuximab. The combination therapy received FDA approval for patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer with BRAF V600E alteration.
FoundationOne Liquid CDx became the first comprehensive genomic profiling test that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for detecting BRAF V600E mutations in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The companion diagnostic indication provides oncologists with non-invasive and important genomic testing solutions for patients with metastatic cancers.
Research Activities for Development of Novel Diagnostic Solutions Support Market Growth
Due to the high fatality rate of metastatic colorectal cancer, early detection is essential for enhancing patient outcomes therefore, various research activities are underway for screening metastatic biomarkers in colorectal cancer. For instance, research is being conducted by the researchers of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran for the investigation of metastatic colorectal cancer related biomarkers by employing experimental validation and a machine learning approach. The findings of the research are expected to offer novel insights for the identification of biomarkers for metastatic colorectal cancer with the help of machine learning algorithms, laying the groundwork for innovative therapeutic strategies for disease treatment. Through machine learning algorithms 11 biomarkers were identified and 4 were experimentally validated. The joint applications of these genes can augment the development of innovative AI predictive models and can be considered as a diagnostic panel for metastatic assessment.
Strategic Collaborations Support Market Expansion
Strategic collaborations allow pharmaceutical companies to test and develop novel drugs, ensuring that they meet the required efficacy and safety standards, and fast-track the drug development process. Such collaborations bolster the drug distribution process and support the co-development and commercialization of drugs. For instance, Taiho Pharmaceutical, the company that manufactures Lonsurf (trifluridine and tipiracil) signed an exclusive license agreement for commercializing and co-developing the drug with Servier in Europe. In August 2023, Lonsurf received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for treating patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with bevacizumab or as a single agent in patients who were previously treated with anti-epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) antibodies, fluoropyrimidine, bevacizumab, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan have been diagnosed with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer.
North America Accounts for Significant Market Share
It is estimated that colorectal cancer is the fourth most diagnosed cancer among individuals aging 30 to 39 years in the United States. The increasing prevalence of colorectal cancer, presence of a well-established healthcare infrastructure, and increasing investments by leading research institutions and market players towards metastatic colorectal cancer are supporting the market expansion in North America. The high awareness among the regional population about diagnostic devices and testing coupled with government policies is further supporting the market expansion in the region. The rising investments of various market players and research institutions towards research and development activities are providing lucrative growth opportunities to the market.
For instance, the University of Florida is conducting a randomized interventional phase 2 study to investigate the utilization of the standard scan-based approach versus the Signatera ctDNA assay for guiding treatment in patients suffering from metastatic colorectal cancer. The main aim of the study is to compare and measure the best overall response, survival, and progression-free survival of the subjects whose treatment had been developed using these two approaches.
Chemotherapy Holds a Significant Market Share
Utilization of chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer relieves symptoms and prolongs the lifespan of the patients. Chemotherapy is used for destroying cancer cells and preventing them from multiplying, dividing, and growing. It is a form of systemic medication that travels through the bloodstream, reaching all the body parts. Doublet chemotherapy or triplet therapy should be offered to patients suffering from initially unresectable and previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer. Chemotherapy in combination with other therapies and surgeries is recommended for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.
For instance, anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy and chemotherapy is recommended for proficient mismatch repair left-sided treatment-naive RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer and for proficient mismatch repair RAS wild-type right-sided metastatic colorectal cancer. System chemotherapy plus cytoreductive surgery is often recommended for selected patients, with colorectal peritoneal metastases. Surgery alone or perioperative chemotherapy are offered to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who are candidates for curative resection of liver metastases.
Advancements in In-vitro Diagnostic Solutions
The continuous advancements in the development of diagnostic solutions are offering lucrative growth opportunities to the market. The advancements are ensuring the provision of quality care to patients suffering from metastatic colorectal cancer and garnering approval from different regulatory bodies. For instance, in 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved a RAS Mutation Detection Kit as a companion diagnostic for panitum. The kit is expected to increase access to RAS testing at the mid and small-sized laboratories by improving the turnaround time and simplifying the testing procedure while lowering the diagnostic costs. The molecular in-vitro diagnostic tool has been designed for detecting thirty-five variants of KRAS and NRAS exon 2, 3, and 4 somatic mutations in patients suffering from colorectal cancer via the extracted genomic DNA from paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed embedded colorectal cancer tissue samples.
Future Market Scenario (2024 - 2031F)
Drug delivery systems using bacteria, cell manipulation techniques for immunotherapy, and nanotechnology promise viable and emerging therapeutic options for patients who are not benefitting from the treatment options that are currently available. Combining nanotechnology with immunotherapy and other targeted therapies as a means of delivering drugs that have systemic toxicity and are otherwise non-selective is expected to offer novel strategic venue for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Emerging technologies in pre-clinical phase studies including immunostimulatory cytokines, microbial therapies, and nanotechnology offer possibilities for therapeutic deliveries.
Key Players Landscape and Outlook
Key participants in the metastatic colorectal cancer market are Amgen, Inc., Sanofi S.A., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Eli Lilly and Company, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. The market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period due to rising research and development activities by the leading market players.
In 2023, Amgen released data from their global Phase 3 CodeBreaK 300 trial that evaluated panitumumab in combination with two doses of sotorasib. The doses showed statistically significant superiority and the results were showcased during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2023. The data showed consistent efficacy across major subgroups and supports the combination of the two biomarker-directed therapies.