Cancer biomarker testing to grow in Asia

Article tags Cancer diagnosticsIn-vitro diagnosticsInfectious Diseases Testing MonitorMolecular Diagnostics (MDx)AsiaCentralised Diagnostics (CEDx)IVD GatewayMolecular Diagnostics (MDx)Size and Share PlusThe Gateway

The cancer burden in Asia is increasing, with new cancer cases expected to grow 49% by 2040 compared to 2020.  More patients are undergoing biomarker testing in order to access more targeted and effective therapies. Economist Intelligence

Clearstate expects the number of patients undergoing routine molecular testing for cancer biomarkers tracked by IVD Gateway to grow at an average annual rate as high as more than 30% average annual growth from 2021 to 2026 in Asia’s fastest-growing market for the segment.

Growing importance of NGS cancer biomarker testing in Asia

Aside from PCR-based molecular diagnostics (MDx), molecular testing technologies such as next generation sequencing (NGS) are becoming of increasing importance as the burden of cancer rises. The introduction of more precision oncology treatments into the market and the growing number of biomarkers for which oncologists need information on for treatment decision-making have necessitated a shift toward more comprehensive genomic profiling through NGS.

NGS is becoming a cost-efficient molecular testing technique in some markets in Asia. A study from Singapore found that routine upfront NGS testing was cost-effective compared to sequential testing with traditional single biomarker assays. 

In Japan, there are three approved multiplex cancer-panel tests under national healthcare reimbursement coverage—two of which are comprehensive genome profile (CGP) tests, each testing for more than 100 target genes. CGP tests are conducted only at affiliated hospitals for the National Cancer Genome Medicine Network and reimbursed for patients who meet a further criteria of having completed standard treatment.

Access to molecular testing including NGS cancer biomarker testing will continue to grow in Asia

Access to NGS cancer biomarker testing is expected to expand with growing affordability of the technology and support from local and regional medical guidelines. The Japan Lung Cancer Society published its “Guidance of gene-panel testing using next-generation sequencers for lung cancer” report in December 2019. 

While emerging markets in Asia lag behind developed counterparts in terms of reimbursement levels, affordability and availability of NGS testing, there is still significant growth in terms of laboratory capacity expected in some emerging markets. In China and Indonesia, the sequencing instrument market is expected to grow at a double-digit rate annually on average between 2021 to 2026. 

For more on the NGS cancer biomarker testing trends, download the white paper on Next-generation sequencing (NGS) in cancer biomarker testing

Tue, 04th Oct 2022 Article tags Cancer diagnosticsIn-vitro diagnosticsInfectious Diseases Testing MonitorMolecular Diagnostics (MDx)AsiaCentralised Diagnostics (CEDx)IVD GatewayMolecular Diagnostics (MDx)Size and Share PlusThe Gateway