The global market value for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment will rise from $6.9 billion in 2014 to $10.9 billion by 2021, representing a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.5%, according to business intelligence provider GBI Research.

The company’s latest report, “Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapeutics in Major Developed Markets to 2021—Emergence of Immunotherapies Drives Market Growth and Creates A Competitive Second-Line,” states that this increase will occur across the eight major markets of the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Japan, driven primarily by the introduction of novel immune-checkpoint inhibitors such as Opdivo and Keytruda during the forecast period.

These new therapies will capture a significant share of the second-line treatment space. As well as strong clinical performances commanding premium pricing, they are expected to increase the degree of segmentation in the NSCLC therapeutics market and add further complexity to the treatment algorithm.

Joshua Libberton, senior analyst for GBI Research, said, “The majority of new drugs will target the second-line treatment of NSCLC in both squamous and non-squamous patient subsets, leading to a crowded treatment algorithm for these patient populations. Ultimately, due to their strong clinical performances, immunotherapies will have a greater uptake than other second-line market entrants, such as Custirsen and Rociletinib.”

The analyst adds that the NSCLC therapeutics market also will see the launches of two first-line treatments for squamous cell patients during the forecast period, namely Necitumumab, which is due to launch in early 2016, and Yervoy (ipilimumab) in 2017.

Libberton said, “The squamous patient subset is currently very limited in terms of first-line treatment options, meaning these new drugs will be important for driving market growth and improving patient outlook.

“While generic chemotherapies will remain an integral aspect of NSCLC treatment, with platinum-based regimens being crucial in the first-line setting for all patients and docetaxel being a key therapy for second-line patients, their market share will slowly decline by 2021 as new premium, targeted therapies enter the arena.”