It’s that time of year—the days are longer, lazier and warmer, and it’s pretty tough to do anything other than laze in the sun.
But if you’re anything like me, it’s also when you start reaching for the sun hat and factor 50 sun cream, amidst constant lectures about sun protection and sinister warnings about the signs of skin cancer.
More Cancer Cases Worldwide
While we tend to hear a lot about melanoma, it’s actually not the most common form of skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, which develop in the upper layers of skin but not in melanocytes, hold that title.
According to a recent report from TechNavio, about 4 million new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed annually, with 3.5 million of those in the US alone. Luckily, it can be cured effectively if it is detected early. Treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer includes surgery, laser therapy, cryotherapy, creams, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and PDT.
The Global Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Market is growing at a CAGR of 27.93 percent from 2013-2018. TechNavio analysts have compiled a list of significant trends that are expected to drive market growth over the projected period.
Emergence of Combination Therapies
A current trend in the Global Non-melanoma Skin Cancer Market is the use of combination therapies for treatment. Combination therapies can be particularly effective in the treatment of aggressive or recurrent non-melanoma skin cancers, with the combination chosen according to the size of the tumor and risk of recurrence. For example, cancer cells that are confined locally can be easily treated by surgery or radiation therapy, while cancer cells that have spread to distant sites can be killed by chemotherapy.
Increase in Strategic Alliances among Vendors
Vendors in the market are focusing on mergers and acquisitions to increase their market share. Since the development cost of these drugs is high, small biotechnology firms are forming alliances with big pharmaceutical companies. For instance, in 2011, Roche collaborated with Curis Inc. for the preclinical studies of Erivedge.
Outsourcing of Manufacturing of Drugs
Companies are increasingly outsourcing drug manufacturing to save production costs, get quality service, reduce lead time, and save distribution costs. Drug manufacturing is mostly outsourced to India and China as both countries offer significant cost reductions for drug R&D and manufacturing compared to other countries. This is also helping companies manage product demand and concentrate on their competencies such as innovation and brand building.
Technological Innovation
New technologies have helped improve the treatment of cancers in this segment. In March 2014, Sensus Healthcare LLC received the 2014 North American Frost & Sullivan award for “New Product Innovation Leadership”. The company employs superficial radiation therapy technique in its two low-energy X-ray devices, SRT-100 and SRT-100 Vision. These devices are higher in standard and quality when compared to other existing treatments of non-melanoma skin cancer and other skin conditions.
These devices offer unrivalled value to patients and physicians through safe, effective, and nearly pain-free treatment preferences. Competing products are bulky, complex, and expensive to operate and maintain. In contrast, Sensus Healthcare’s SRT-100 and SRT-100 Vision are small portable devices and utilize a non-invasive approach to treatment.
