China pharma firms eye stronghold in therapeutic cancer vaccines market: GlobalData

Cancer vaccines represent a burgeoning field in oncology, with the potential to revolutionise cancer treatment. Earlier, approved cancer vaccines were prophylactic against cancer-causing viruses. However, recent advancements have shifted towards developing therapeutic cancer vaccines, which focus on identifying tumour-specific antigens to create innovative cancer immunotherapies. In this context, Chinese companies are actively positioning themselves to secure a strong foothold in the therapeutic vaccine market, says GlobalData.

According to GlobalData’s Pharmaceutical Intelligence Center, seven cancer vaccines are approved in China, of these four were developed by multinational pharma companies. The homegrown vaccines include Wozehui, developed by Shanghai Zerun Biotechnology, and Cecolin, by Xiamen Innovax Biotechnology, both targeting different serotypes of HPV. Additionally, Rebys, produced by Cure & Sure Biotech, is an autologous heat shock protein-gp6 peptide complex, marking it as the first therapeutic cancer vaccine approved in China for multiple oncology indications, including esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, and liver cancers.

Jithendra Kancharla, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, states, “Therapeutic cancer vaccines harness the body’s immune system to recognise and combat tumour cells within the body. They harbour an antigen specific to the tumour cells and present them to immune cells eliciting them to attack the antigen-containing tumour cells. The field of therapeutic cancer vaccines is advancing rapidly with technological innovations, driving promising research in areas such as personalised neoantigen vaccines, oncolytic virus-based vaccines, and mRNA cancer vaccines.”

A significant breakthrough was achieved in 2010 with the approval of sipuleucel-T (Provenge), developed by Dendreon Pharmaceuticals, for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Provenge is an autologous cellular immunotherapy that marks a significant milestone as the first FDA-approved therapeutic cancer vaccine.

According to GlobalData’s Pharmaceutical Intelligence Center, as of 20 August 2024, 23 different cancer vaccines are in Phase I to Phase III clinical development in China. Most of these vaccines (60 per cent) are therapeutic cancer vaccines and homegrown companies are developing the majority of them.

Notably, the US* is leading the innovation of therapeutic cancer vaccines with 46 potential vaccine candidates in the pipeline, followed by Europe with 22 vaccine candidates, China with 14 and Japan with 11 therapeutic cancer vaccines in Phase I to Phase III clinical development.

“Despite China forging ways to compete on a global level in the field of therapeutic cancer vaccines, the Western companies currently have a more advanced position, with several vaccine candidates showing potential for treating different areas of oncology. As these vaccines progress through clinical trials and reach commercialisation, China’s influence in oncology is likely to expand. The next decade could see China not only as a major market but also as a leading innovator in the global fight against cancer,” adds Kancharla.