During oncology treatment, besides extending the survival to the endpoint of therapy, improving the patient survival quality becomes increasingly important, however, the tumor supportive care market has experienced quite limit growth in the past few years, compared to the growing global oncology market.

Global Oncology and Supportive Care Costs, Unit: USD 1 billion

Growth Rates for Global Oncology and Supportive Care Costs
The tumor supportive care includes palliative care and hospice care, and the drug therapy is mainly the adjuvant therapy during the chemotherapy, mainly for: chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), cancer cachexia, oral mucositis, bone metastasis, chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, and chemotherapy-induced anemia.

- CINV
|
Trade name (generic name) |
Manufacturer |
Mechanism of action |
|
Emend (aprepitant) |
Merck & Co. |
NK1 receptor agonist |
|
Emend for Injection / IVemend (fosaprepitant dimeglumine) |
Merck & Co. |
NK1 receptor agonist |
|
Varubi / Varuby / Varubi IV (rolapitant) |
Tesaro |
NK1 receptor agonist |
|
Aloxi (palonosetron hydrochloride) |
Helsinn |
5-HT3 receptor agonist (second generation) |
|
Sustol (granisetron hydrochloride, extended-release) |
Heron Therapeutics |
5-HT3 receptor agonist (extended-release dosage form of the first generation) |
|
Akynzeo (netupitant and palonosetron) |
Helsinn |
NK1 and 5-HT3 receptor agonist |
|
Syndros (dronabinol oral solution) |
Insys Therapeutics |
Cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor agonist |
There are mainly 3 products for the CINV: steroid hormone, 5-HT3 receptor agonist, and NK1 receptor agonist, wherein, the aprepitant for injection of Merck is the product leading in the sales, however, the current marketed products are most for control of vomiting instead of the nausea, and injections are more convenient than oral liquid for the patients’ use.
- Cancer cachexia
It is a syndrome characterized by presentation of anorexia, weight loss, anemia, weakness, and failure, etc., and loss of skeletal muscle and fat of the cancer patients. Currently no product is approved for this indication. Megestrol acetate is currently used clinically to improve the appetite and body mass of patients with advanced tumors, but the effect is limited.
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