Blue Matter Blog
February 27, 2024
During the first quarter of each year, we write a retrospective on the previous year’s oncology market, outlining the major events and developments, as well as describing why we think they’re important. Of course, looking back can be a helpful exercise, but looking forward is more fun. So, our other tradition is to gaze into …
February 13, 2024
CAR-T therapies, as well as up-and-coming T-cell engager (TCE) bispecifics, have been the buzz within hematologic circles for quite some time. TCEs and CAR-Ts are currently approved in both multiple myeloma (MM) and non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL). Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, with hematologists learning more each day about which approach is best, and …
January 22, 2024
Another year has passed and a new one stretches before us. The oncology market continues to be a dynamic and interesting place, so 2024 should bring some interesting developments. However, before we peer ahead and make predictions for the coming year, we decided to look back at the predictions we made almost one year ago—for …
December 19, 2023
Last week, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) hosted its annual meeting in San Diego, CA. Our team attended the meeting and had the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues while also seeing presentations and data regarding the latest innovations in hematology. ASH is a large meeting, and to help sort through all the data and …
November 13, 2023
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is an attractive concept that has been studied and refined over the past two decades. It leverages cells’ existing “infrastructure” to signal specifically targeted disease-causing proteins for degradation. This can be via: A “molecular glue” – directly engages the signalling moiety with the protein of interest (POI) A heterobifunctional molecule – …
November 6, 2023
Late last month, a couple of teams from Blue Matter attended the ESMO Congress in Madrid, both for project work and to stay abreast of the latest innovations in oncology. One of those teams prepared a summary of their key takeaways, which you can read here. However, ESMO is a large meeting, and it’s impossible …
November 2, 2023
The weather may have been rainy, but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the more than 30,000 people who attended the 2023 ESMO Congress in Madrid, 20-24 October. Members of our team traveled to Madrid to see the latest innovations in oncology research and patient care. While there, we combed through the agenda to find—and …
August 15, 2023
Introduction The Market Access environment in Europe is continually evolving and remains a perpetual challenge for manufacturers as payers look to obtain the best value, especially when it comes to high cost and high impact technologies. To capture the latest HTA outcomes, policy changes, and interesting insights, the Blue Matter EU Access team will be …
July 7, 2023
Within the biopharmaceutical market, oncology is the largest therapeutic area. US revenues are expected to reach $100 billion in 2023 and rise to $175 billion by 2027, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 14%. Meanwhile, the oncology market continues to become increasingly complex, with rising levels of competition and an ever-expanding range of …
June 16, 2023
As everyone in oncology knows, the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is a pretty big deal. It’s a nexus for continuing education for oncologists, the sharing of new research data, networking and idea sharing, and more. This year, the meeting was held in Chicago from June 2-6, attracting approximately 45,000 …
March 30, 2023
Over the course of this series, we’ve covered gene therapies in some detail. We have outlined how they differ from more “traditional” therapeutics and explored how those differences can affect many aspects of development, delivery, and commercialization. Interested readers can access the previous three installments via the links below: Part I provides an overview of …
March 7, 2023
It’s that time again: the time when we look down the road and make a few predictions about what the rest of the year is likely to hold for the oncology market. It’s hard to believe that the first quarter of 2023 is nearly gone, so we’ve put “pen to paper” to document our thoughts …
February 2, 2023
Cell therapies have come a long way and they continue to advance in the fight against many cancers. From their start in acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), they expanded into non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (LBCL, FL, and MCL), and moved up from a third-line treatment to second line. They’ve been approved in fifth-line + multiple myeloma (MM) and …
January 24, 2023
It’s becoming a bit of a tradition around here. Each year, we make some predictions about what we think will happen in the oncology market. Then, after the year has passed, we look back and see whether our crystal ball was on target or if we need to take it back to the crystal ball …
October 31, 2022
As highlighted in our previous blog post, the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) demonstrated compelling efficacy data from the first randomized, controlled Phase 3 study comparing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) to a checkpoint immunotherapy (Yervoy®) in advanced melanoma. Earlier this year, Iovance Biotherapeutics announced positive clinical data for its TIL (lifileucel), also in advanced melanoma. TIL therapy …
October 5, 2022
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) held its annual congress in Paris last month, September 9-13. The conference provided a venue for multiple presentations in the cell therapy space. These presentations showcased data on the efficacy of cell therapies—mostly in solid tumors—leveraging multiple innovations, including a variety of cell types such as tumor infiltrating …
February 4, 2022
We recently shared a look back on key trends that we had identified in 2021. Based on January alone, 2022 appears to be heading towards being another very busy year for the oncology market, full of more innovation, competitive disruption, and regulatory intrigue! Our team has identified five key trends that we look forward to …
January 19, 2022
Early last year, our team produced a paper entitled Oncology Outlook 2021: Scientific breakthroughs and competitive breakouts. It was a fun paper to write because it gave us an opportunity to broadly review the market landscape, identify key trends, and make some predictions for 2021. Predictions are almost always fun, but they’re only valuable if …
November 30, 2021
Introduction Over the last decade, advances in cancer care have measurably improved overall survival, and specifically in disease areas with previously high unmet needs such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma1. Importantly, this increased survival is driven by a shift of more patients into two key categories of treatment outcomes: Cure: Defined here …
March 11, 2021
2021 will be a big year for emerging oncology therapeutics, as we anticipate major late-stage clinical advancements for several new modalities either reaching their first regulatory decision (e.g., TILs, TCR-T, first solid tumor bispecific antibody) or making the leap from newly emerging into more established with new targets or indications beyond their initial approvals (e.g., …
February 24, 2021
2020 was a memorable year for some less-than-positive reasons, but even in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic there were numerous oncology advancements well worth celebrating. In addition to the specific research and clinical developments described below, there was also the recent announcement by the American Cancer Society that cancer death rates have continued to …
January 14, 2021
One year ago when we published an in-depth review of the cell-based immunotherapy landscape, no one could have predicted the global COVID-19 pandemic and its associated disruptions. But researchers, drug developers, regulatory agencies, clinicians, and patients all worked hard to ensure that the cell therapy field continued to advance and deliver promising new treatments in …
July 7, 2020
Six months ago, we published an in-depth review of the cell-based immunotherapy landscape, including forward-facing declarations of 2020 data releases, filings, etc. that would address key outstanding questions, namely: Six months later, despite the unprecedented and unanticipated impact of COVID-19 on corporate operations, clinical trial functions, and regulatory body decision-making, there have been multiple key …
May 18, 2020
Last year, we wrote about our charitable work with a great non-profit organization, the Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF). We’re proud to say that our work has continued with this organization. However, things have changed over the past year, as the ALCF has merged with the Lung Cancer Alliance to form the GO2 Foundation for …
March 10, 2020
In Part 1 of this series, we reviewed recent developments and upcoming milestones that are shaping the cell-based therapy landscape. Here in Part 2, we explore the various factors and challenges that will influence how each cell-based therapy—and the class as whole—will perform in the marketplace over the next few years. Some of these factors …
January 14, 2020
Last year we examined cell-based therapies through both scientific and commercial lenses. Over the last year, the field has dramatically advanced beyond the recently approved CD-19 CAR-T therapies (KYMRIAH and YESCARTA) into novel cell types and designs with potential across tumor types. In this first part of a two-part series, we will review recent and …
September 5, 2019
Future Trends In Parts I and II of this series, we reviewed the dramatic diagnostic and pharmaceutical advances over the past 5 years that have rapidly enhanced the standard of care, leading to significant and essentially curative outcomes for some patients. In this article, we discuss the near-term future – the possibilities as well as …
September 4, 2019
This past weekend (31 August – 1 September), a team from Blue Matter took part in the South Coast Challenge to help raise money for cancer research. Zeren Kocak, Linah Richer, Anwen Brown, Nafees Masri, Mariah Peixoto, and Magda Palczynska put on their hiking shoes and hit the trail to raise funds for Cancer Research …
July 25, 2019
The weekend of 31 August – 1 September will be a busy one for Blue Matter team members Zeren Kocak, Linah Richer, Anwen Brown, Nafees Masri, Mariah Peixoto, and Magda Palczynska. They’ll be putting on their hiking shoes and taking part in this year’s South Coast Challenge to help raise money for cancer research. The …
July 16, 2019
In Part I of this series, we identified and described four key trends in oncology: Novel Drug Targets and Classes of Therapy Novel Drug Designs Tumor Biology-Based Regimens Diagnostic-Driven, Adaptive Regimens: Precision Medicine Despite the significant advances these trends represent, much unmet need remains in oncology. In this installment, we outline some of those key …
July 8, 2019
Over the past 5 years, several ground-breaking advancements in oncology have dramatically advanced the standard of care. These new classes of drugs include the PD(L)1 checkpoint inhibitors, the PARP inhibitors, and the EGFR resistance targeted drugs. Also included is a general trend towards more precise and targeted treatment decisions, driven by incorporating molecular tests and …
April 23, 2019
Better integration of personalized cancer treatments into clinical practice will immensely improve outcomes for patients. But, to achieve the full potential of precision medicine, both pharma and diagnostics must accelerate and broaden their scope of precision medicine beyond their currently limited settings and ensure successful integration into clinical practice. In this installment, we will explore …
April 8, 2019
Over the past few decades in oncology, targeted therapies—and the tests that identify which tumors will be sensitive to them—have significantly advanced the standard of care in several key settings. However, precision medicine will not achieve its full potential in oncology without broader success in pharmaceutical and diagnostic development, and better integration of both into …
March 18, 2019
Since scientists first sequenced the human genome nearly 20 years ago, we have all been increasingly enthusiastic about the potential for precision medicine to better diagnose and treat diseases. In oncology, targeted therapies against specific mutations have already demonstrated this promise, though only in the relatively limited settings where these therapies exist and testing is …
March 7, 2019
Part Four in a Series on Oncology Product Commercialization As we’ve written before, oncology launches are occurring more frequently, largely due to a rapidly evolving understanding of disease biology and massive investments in oncology research and development. As a result, many indications are becoming more complex and competitive, with a greater number of approved molecules …
February 11, 2019
At Blue Matter, we love what we do. The work is interesting, and we always feel like we’re learning something new. There’s also a sense that, in our own small way, we’re joining in the fight against some of the world’s worst diseases. Our team members have a passion for the areas in which they …
January 21, 2019
Part Two of a Two-Part Series: Commercial Opportunity, Challenges, and Outlook In Part One of this series, we provided an overview of how the immune system can fight cancer, as well as the reasons it can sometimes fail in the effort. In addition, we explored an extremely interesting class of therapies that show great promise …
January 18, 2019
Part One of a Two-Part Series: How Cancer Immunity Works & Types of Cell-Based Immunotherapy Until recently, cancer treatments for advanced disease were palliative in nature, seeking to reduce tumor burden and prolong life. Curing metastatic disease was not considered possible. But over the past few decades, a new class of cancer treatments has demonstrated curative …
December 13, 2018
Part Three in a Six-Part Series on Oncology Product Commercialization In Part One of this series, we outlined five commercial challenges in oncology that biopharma decision-makers must face. Part Two dealt with the first of those challenges, the “constant state of launch” that now exists in oncology. In this installment, we introduce the complex array …
November 7, 2018
Part Two in a Six-Part Series on Oncology Product Commercialization In Part One, we mentioned that the launch frequency for oncology products has increased significantly over the last several years. While this trend is seen in other therapeutic areas across the industry, we believe the combination of factors driving this in oncology are somewhat unique …
September 20, 2018
Part One in a Six-Part Series on Oncology Product Commercialization The oncology market continues to grow at a phenomenal pace, with worldwide revenues expected to increase from $104B in 2017 to $233B in 20241. Fueling this revenue growth is a rich pipeline, with more than 700 molecules in late-stage development – a 60% increase from …