Belgium Cancer Immunotherapy Market Analysis

Belgium Cancer Immunotherapy Market Executive Analysis

Belgium's cancer immunotherapy market is at around $248 Mn in 2022 and is projected to reach $429 Mn in 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period. In order to cover rising energy costs, the hospital sector in Belgium will receive $88 Mn in the first half of 2019. One of the budgetary solutions will release $110 Mn as structural cost compensation for "conventional" healthcare providers—those who adhere to the official prices set by physicians and healthcare organizations in Belgium.  If more cash should be granted due to rising energy prices will be assessed in the second half of the year. The federal government will make an additional effort by keeping that $ 88 Mn outside of the budget for health insurance. $110 Mn will be made available from the health insurance budget, which was unanimously agreed, for structural cost compensation for healthcare providers, but only for those who are contracted. The maximum copayment ceilings will also not be index-indexed. Additional funding for accessible dental care, improved eyeglass coverage, and focused initiatives to improve treatment and quality of life for cancer patients are also planned.

In 2020, 68,782 new cancer diagnoses were reported in Belgium, with 31,942 of those cases affecting women and 36,840 affecting males. Males were more likely to develop prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers than females were to develop breast, colorectal, and lung cancers. The Flemish Region will have the highest age-adjusted incidence of females in 2020. In 2020, they are higher for men in the Flemish and Walloon Region.

While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown a convincing efficacy with sustained responses in many cancer types, the single agent efficacy of ICIs in patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) proved to be low. Later, in patients with metastatic TNBC, ICIs were coupled with chemotherapy in an effective effort to increase this clinical efficacy. ICIs are now being tested in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with early TNBC after promising outcomes in the metastatic situation. This review gives a general overview of the outcomes of ICI in TNBC, from the underwhelming outcomes with ICI monotherapy to the promising outcomes with ICI-chemotherapy combinations in the neoadjuvant setting to the game-changing outcomes with atezolizumab and atezolizumab in combination with chemotherapy in metastatic TNBC patients.

Market Dynamics

Market Growth Drivers

The regulatory system for authorizing new cancer therapeutics, including immunotherapies, is well-established in Belgium. The nation has a streamlined procedure for examining and authorizing new therapies, which could aid in quickening the release of new medications onto the market. Public and private financing is available in Belgium's strong healthcare system to assist cancer research and development. The funds received can be used to support the development of new immunotherapies, as well as to perform clinical studies and other research. In order to develop new cancer treatments, Belgium has a strong research community with numerous academic and commercial organizations cooperating. This collaborative atmosphere can help to accelerate the development of new immunotherapies and bring them to market more swiftly, therefore, resulting in the expansion of the Belgium cancer immunotherapy market.

Market Restraints

Cancer immunotherapies can be expensive, and this can limit access to these treatments for some patients. Even though Belgium has public support for cancer treatments, certain patients who need immunotherapy can still face financial obstacles. There are still restrictions on the use of immunotherapy, even though it has shown promise in treating a variety of malignancies. Immunotherapy might not work as well for some cancer types, and patients with advanced or metastatic cancer might only have a few treatment options. Immunotherapy can have side effects, some of which can be serious, despite the fact that it is typically well tolerated. This might prevent some individuals from receiving immunotherapy, especially those who are already weak or have other medical issues which can limit the growth of the Belgium cancer immunotherapy market.

Competitive Landscape

Key Players

• Neogen (BEL)
• Mirrhia (BEL)
• Farmant (BEL)
• Dafra Pharma (BEL)
• Minakem high potent (BEL)
• Amgen
• Bayer
• AstraZeneca
• Bristol-Myers Squibb
• F. Hoffmann-La Roche
• Pfizer
• Eli Lily

Healthcare Policies and Regulatory Landscape

Cancer treatment is supported by the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV), which is primarily funded by social security contributions and taxes. For patients covered by the Belgian social security system, the INAMI/RIZIV is in charge of paying for medical services, including cancer treatment. The degree of payment is determined by the medical value of the treatment under Belgium's tiered system of cancer treatment reimbursement standards. Based on their medical worth, cancer therapies are divided into one of four categories, with higher categories obtaining higher levels of reimbursement. Based on changes in medical knowledge and expenses, the reimbursement rates for cancer treatment are reevaluated and modified on a regular basis. The Belgian government has put in place a number of programs in addition to the INAMI/RIZIV to enhance patient access to cancer care and treatment. For instance, the 2008-launched Cancer Plan seeks to enhance cancer prevention, early identification, and therapeutic outcomes. The Cancer Plan comprises a number of efforts, such as enhanced access to novel cancer therapies, expanded cancer screening programs, and more funding for cancer research. The Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCC) is a network of comprehensive cancer centres in Belgium that offer patients specialist cancer care and support services. The CCCs are staffed by interdisciplinary teams of healthcare experts and provide a variety of services, including diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.