High Adoption of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Increasing Prevalence of Cancer to Augment Growth of Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD) Market

 

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a systemic disorder and a common complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The condition can be subclassified into acute classic GVHD, persistent, recurrent, or late-onset acute GVHD, classic chronic GVHD, and overlap syndrome.

Market Dynamics

High adoption of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and increasing prevalence of certain cancers of the blood or bone marrow, such as multiple myeloma or leukemia is expected to propel growth of the graft versus host disease (GvHD) market. For instance, according to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 176,200 people in the US are expected to be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2019. Moreover, around 30,000 patients undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant annually in the United States, with approximately 20% to 85% developing aGvHD that affects the skin, gut, or liver.

An increasing number of clinical trials for graft versus host disease is expected to offer lucrative growth opportunities for players in the graft versus host disease (GvHD) market. For instance, in January 2021, a two-stage, phase 2 clinical trial by Sherif S. Farag, Indiana University School of Medicine, reported that patients undergoing matched allogeneic stem-cell transplantation had a low incidence of graft-versus-host disease with the addition of the diabetes drug sitagliptin (Januvia) to standard prophylaxis. Moreover, launch of novel therapeutic platforms is also expected to aid in growth of the market. For instance, in September 2020, Avalon GloboCare Corp., a clinical-stage developer of cell-based technologies and therapeutics, launched its new allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cell therapeutic platform a potential therapy for COVID-19 and for bone marrow transplant related complications of acute graft versus host disease.

Competitive Analysis

Major players operating in the graft versus host disease (GvHD) market include, Sanofi, Novartis AG, Neovii Biotech GmbH, Merck & Co., Equillium, Inc., Astellas Pharma Inc., Soligenix, Inc., and Mesoblast Ltd.

Major players operating in the graft versus host disease (GvHD) market are focused on R&D to expand their product portfolio. For instance, in December 2020, Mesoblast Limited presented biomarker evidence linking remestemcel-L’s immunomodulatory activity to survival outcomes in children with steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease, at the 62nd annual meeting American Society of Hematology. Similarly, in November 2020, Equillium, Inc. announced positive interim data from the third cohort of the Phase 1b open label, dose escalation study of itolizumab in the first-line treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease.