UAE Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market Analysis

UAE Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market Executive Summary

The UAE Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market was valued at $28.1 Mn in 2023 and is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 6.04% from 2023 to 2030, to $42.4 Mn by 2030. 

Clinical nutrition for cancer care is a specialized field focusing on providing optimal nutritional support to patients throughout their cancer journey. It goes beyond simply “eating healthy” and involves a personalized approach to address the unique nutritional needs of each patient. A registered dietitian or other qualified healthcare professional usually assess the patient’s nutritional status. Based on the assessment, a personalized plan is created to meet the patient’s individual needs. Nutritional deficiencies are prevalent among cancer patients due to treatment side effects, altered metabolism, and decreased appetite. Clinical nutrition interventions play a crucial role in improving treatment tolerance as adequate nutrition can help patients tolerate chemotherapy and radiation therapy better, potentially reducing side effects and allowing for completion of treatment plans. Also, it maintains strength and immunity as proper nutrition helps patients maintain muscle mass, fight infections, and recover faster from surgery. Lastly, it enhances the quality of life since nutritional support can improve fatigue, appetite, and overall well-being, leading to a better quality of life during cancer treatment.

Advancements in medical nutrition therapy have led to the development of specialized oral nutritional supplements (ONS) and enteral feeding formulas. These products provide concentrated nutrients and can be crucial for patients struggling to meet their nutritional needs through regular diet alone. Parenteral nutrition remains an option for patients unable to tolerate oral or enteral feeding. Overall, clinical nutrition for cancer care plays a vital role in optimizing patient outcomes by ensuring they receive the necessary nutrients to support their body throughout treatment.

The UAE Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market is driven by significant factors such as the increasing prevalence of cancer, improved healthcare infrastructure, and rising disposable incomes. However, reimbursement policies, limited awareness, and challenges in implementation restrict the growth and potential of the market.

The major players of the UAE Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market are Nestlé Health Science, Abbott Nutrition, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Pfizer, and Fresenius Kabi, among others. Abbott Nutrition is a division of Abbott Laboratories, specializing in nutritional products for infants, children, and adults, including those with medical conditions. Key products include Ensure, Jevity, and Glucerna, which cater to different nutritional needs and conditions, including cancer care.

Market Dynamics

Market Growth Drivers

Increasing Prevalence of Cancer: A major driver for this market is the increasing global burden of cancer and the high mortality rates associated with it. As the population ages and lifestyle risks like smoking persist, the number of new cancer cases diagnosed each year continues to rise. Cancer as a cause of death has been constantly increasing in UAE and has become the leading cause of death. According to the Global Cancer Observatory, UAE had an estimated age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) for cancer of 86.4 and 157.8 for males and females, respectively, in 2022. This translates to a larger patient population requiring specialized nutritional support during treatment, which in turn drives the Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market further.

Improved Healthcare Infrastructure: With the establishment of new hospitals and specialist cancer care clinics, UAE’s healthcare infrastructure is improving. These facilities have departments or staff specializing in clinical nutrition for cancer patients. These departments can provide comprehensive nutritional assessments, develop personalized nutrition plans, and offer specialized services like enteral and parenteral nutrition support. Improved infrastructure facilitates the adoption of advanced medical technologies for cancer diagnosis and treatment. These advanced treatments, like complex surgeries or radiation therapy, often require specialized nutritional support to manage side effects and optimize patient recovery. Improved health infrastructure plays a vital role in propelling the UAE Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market by creating a conducive environment for specialized services, fostering advanced treatment approaches, and facilitating collaboration among healthcare professionals.

Rising Disposable Incomes: As disposable incomes rise, households in UAE have more money to allocate towards healthcare. This translates into a greater willingness to pay for specialized services like clinical nutrition for cancer care. Previously, patients might have relied solely on traditional remedies or basic nutritional support due to financial constraints. Increased disposable income allows them to consider additional services that can improve treatment outcomes and quality of life. Consequently, rising disposable incomes can lead to a growing demand for personalized and comprehensive cancer care plans. Clinical nutrition plays a crucial role in achieving this by tailoring nutritional plans to individual needs and preferences. Patients might be more willing to invest in services that offer a more holistic approach to cancer care, including personalized nutritional support. Thus, rising disposable incomes in UAE allows patients to invest in specialized services like clinical nutrition for cancer care which ultimately drives the growth of the UAE Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market.

Market Restraints

Varied reimbursement policies: Reimbursement policies for nutritional support products like oral nutritional supplements (ONS) and enteral feeding formulas differ significantly across regions and even within healthcare systems. This can create access disparities for patients, particularly in areas with limited coverage or complex procedures for reimbursement. Thus, due to cost and reimbursement issues, the Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market might not grow to its full potential.

Limited Awareness: While awareness is increasing, not all healthcare professionals may fully understand the significance of clinical nutrition in cancer care. This can lead to underutilization of nutritional support services and a failure to identify patients who could benefit from them. Some patients might not be fully aware of the benefits of proper nutrition during cancer treatment and the available support options. Therefore, the limited awareness can prevent the Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market from growing.

Challenges in Implementation: The trend towards personalized nutrition plans requires adequate resources and support systems to effectively implement these plans for each patient after consideration of many factors. Also, seamlessly integrating clinical nutrition services into existing healthcare workflows can be challenging. This might require changes in practice patterns and fostering collaboration among different healthcare professionals. These changes in the healthcare structure can be hard to incorporate thus acting as a restraint for the Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market.

Regulatory Landscape and Reimbursement Scenario

In UAE, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) is the federal regulatory authority responsible for overseeing the healthcare system. It plays a critical role in safeguarding public health by ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of the medicines. In addition to MoHAP, other regulatory bodies that oversee licenses, register different types of products, and create healthcare policies and guidelines for hospitals and pharmacies are the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD).

The pharmaceuticals require approval before importing, selling or marketing in the UAE. Registration of pharmaceutical products is a complex process which requires extensive documentation and several requirements to be fulfilled by the companies. The overall approval process for pharmaceuticals and medical devices involves classification, application submission, review, and potential inspection. Depending on the device’s complexity and the application’s thoroughness, the evaluation procedure may take up to 45 working days.

The UAE's healthcare reimbursement landscape involves a mix of public and private insurance. In the public sector, Government funds and taxes collected from patients with required insurance are frequently used to reimburse public hospitals and clinics. In the private sector, private insurance providers employ a range of techniques, including: Fee-For-Service (FFS) which pays medical professionals according to the services they offer (e.g., consultation, operation); the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) defines a set fee for the treatment of a certain illness. Lastly, through the Managed Care, individuals with insurance might receive discounted treatments from networks of healthcare providers.

Competitive Landscape

Key Players

Here are some of the major key players in the UAE Clinical Nutrition for Cancer Care Market:

• Nestlé Health Science
• Abbott Nutrition
• Pfizer
• B. Braun Melsungen AG
• Fresenius Kabi
• Danone Nutrica
• Baxter International Inc.
• Victus Inc.
• Mead Johnson Nutrition
• Aymes