Company: HCWB
Filing Date: 2025-03-28
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-046724
Chunk: 19

Company: HCW Biologics Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-03-28
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 19
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 is dominated by a few companies, predominantly Merck & Co. and its product, Keytruda®. Leading immune checkpoint inhibitors face a patent cliff in the next few years.  The opportunity presented by the patent expiry of approved immune checkpoint inhibitors lies in the potential for increased competition and availability of generic or biosimilar versions of these drugs which may result in a loss of market exclusivity and revenue as competition. It may also incentivize innovation and the development of new formulations, combinations, or delivery methods to maintain market share and competitive advantage.  

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer, as one of most fatal malignancies, remains a critical issue in the global burden of disease. This cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. In the U.S., pancreatic cancer is currently the third leading cause of cancer-related death after lung and colon and expected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 66,440 Americans were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and more than 51,750 died from the disease in 2024.

For all stages combined, the five-year relative survival rate is 13%. For the small percentage (15%) of people diagnosed with local disease, the five-year survival rate is only 44%. Survival is higher when pancreatic cancer is detected early. Early diagnoses is difficult because there are few signs or symptoms before it has spread outside of the pancreas. 

17 

China, the United States, and Japan had the highest number of pancreatic cancer cases in 2022. There were approximately 500,000 new cases and 470,000 deaths in 2022.  The table below shows the new cases and the ASR/100,000. Age-standardized rates (“ASR”) are a summary measure of the rate of disease that a population would have if it had a standard age structure. 

     Country
    New Cases of Pancreatic Cancer
     ASR/100,000 

    World
    510,992
    4.7

    China
    118,672
    4.4

    United States
    60,127
    8.6

    Japan
    47,627
    9.8

(See:  World Journal of Gastronomy, American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, World Cancer Research Fund.)

Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths