The B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) market is expected to grow from $5.7bn in 2017 to $9.2bn by 2027 across the seven major markets (7MM = US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and Japan) at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9%, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The company’s latest report: ‘B-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL): Opportunity Analysis and Forecasts to 2027’ states that the main driver of the growth will be the rise of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies.

CAR-T therapies, including the currently marketed Yescarta and Kymriah and the pipeline agent lisocabtagene maraleucel, are expected to result in significant revenues due to premium pricing and clinical benefit in heavily pre-treated patients. Their combined revenues are expected to reach around $2.4bn in 2027.

Arshad Ahad, Oncology and Hematology Analyst at GlobalData, explains: "CAR-T therapies have been highly anticipated in NHL, and they are expected to improve treatment outcomes in heavily-treated patients, an area of major unmet need. While currently only approved for the DLBCL subtype, CAR-T therapies are expected to expand into FL, MZL and MCL, and earlier lines of therapy between 2017 and 2027."

Increasing prevalence, primarily by aging populations and the approval and launch of new branded therapies: lisocabtagene maraleucel, ublituximab with umbralisib, Blincyto, tafasitamab, Venclexta, and enzastaurin will also drive market growth. Additionally, label expansion of currently marketed therapies: Yescarta, Kymriah, Polivy, Revlimid, Calquence, Aliqopa and Imbruvica will further drive growth during the forecast period.

Ahad adds: "A major barrier for market growth in B-cell NHL, however, will be the increased use of biosimilars and generics, in particular biosimilar rituximab. The branded Rituxan alone brought in around $2.5bn in the US in 2018"

GlobalData’s report also identified unmet needs across the B-cell NHL subtypes.

Ahad concludes: "Unmet needs remain in B-cell NHL, which will provide opportunities for developers, including the need for predictive and prognostic biomarkers, better therapies for relapsed or refractory DLBCL, further options in FL for specific patient subsets, and therapies for MCL patients refractory to and relapsed after treatment with Imbruvica".