FIND A CONTACT FIND A RISK SOLUTION SEARCH MENU English Japanese Korean Targeted Cancer Therapy – Road to Precision Medicine Contacts: Achim Regenauer, Chief Medical Officer, Life & Health Bryce Shepherd, Head of Capabilities Development, Life & Health, APACNovember 5, 2021 In this, the third of our 4-part series of insurance-focused articles on cancer, Dr. Achim Regenauer, Chief Medical Officer, presents a high-level overview of targeted cancer therapy – a catch-all term for a spectrum of innovative new cancer therapies that are improving the outlook for patients and moving us closer to precision medicine – and its impact on Life & Health insurers. Dr. Regenauer’s content is presented in a concise bulleted format – so there’s no need for you to wade through complex medical descriptions or interpret sensationalised headlines. Alongside the observations, Bryce Shepherd, Head of Capabilities Development, Life & Health APAC, adds valuable market insights and solutions relating to how the industry can adapt to these changes to ensure that our products and services stay relevant, valued and sustainable over the next decade. What is targeted cancer therapy? Cancer cells have the ability to hide from the body’s immune system. Targeted cancer therapy has the potential, via different pathways, to remove these “brakes” on the immune system and induce an anti-tumour response so that the cancer can be defeated. Targeted cancer therapy is a catch-all term, encompassing smarter cancer therapy via immunotherapies, monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T-cell therapies, interferons, small molecules and cancer vaccines. There is no general definition of targeted cancer therapy – the term is often used interchangeably with “immunotherapy” or “biologic therapy of cancer”. What’s new about this? For decades, the conventional anti-cancer treatment strategies have been surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs are often poorly tolerated as they also kill healthy cells. In quite a number of different cancers, the response rate from targeted therapy was much higher than from chemotherapy, the toxicity much lower and survival outcomes shifted from several weeks to months, if not several years, depending on the specific treatment and cancer type. In some cancer types, even metastases1 could be eliminated by immunotherapeutics – a significant development as metastasis usually signifies inevitable death. Expected further advances Next to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, targeted cancer therapy will emerge as the fourth pillar of cancer treatment. For a number of cancers, it is already, next to surgery, the most successful treatment. A gradual extension of cancer subtypes treatable by immunotherapy – even as a first line therapy. The development of liquid biopsy tests (expected early diagnosis via a simple blood test2) is intertwined with the development of new targeted cancer therapeutics: the earlier cancers are detected, the better any drug will work. Currently, almost 80 targeted cancer therapeutics are being used after a predictive biomarker test, up from only 20 in 20113. After breakthrough mRNA COVID vaccines, much hope is laid upon development of mRNA vaccines for existing cancers. The first trials are already running. Business solution: Challenges & opportunities for Life & Health insurers Expected impact on Life & Health insurers With mortalities improving for many cancer types, close monitoring of underwriting revisions for cancers will be required. Furthermore, a much deeper differentiation will be necessary in order to depict the different prognoses of the increasing number of molecular based cancer subtypes. With significant mortality improvements, pricing of Critical Illness covers (in Asia) based on historical experience needs regular review. New opportunities for innovative products that more closely align to the exploding cost profile for patients able to benefit from targeted cancer therapy. High treatment costs for numerous cancer types and subtypes (impacting Health and Medical Reimbursement covers). Medical Reimbursement covers may become unsustainable without benefit limits. Terminal illness products will need to be reassessed. Business solution: Designing products that lower the cost barrier to treatment State-of-the-art Targeted cancer therapy, and here particularly immunotherapy, has moved beyond the domain of basic science. The total number of new drugs in the R&D pipeline reached almost 3,500 in 2020, up 75% since 20153. Over the last 15 years, the FDA has approved more than 150 new cancer drugs4, mostly for cancers with a specific genetic mutation. However: Only a subset of patients (approximately 10-30%) respond to immunotherapies and there is no predictor available for who will and who won’t benefit. There may be a large group of cancer patients who will never respond to immunotherapy. Alongside the development of new cancer drugs, combination regimes with chemotherapies or other types of targeted cancer drugs are now widely being researched in clinical trials. Prediction for the next 10 years Targeted cancer therapies have the potential to be a disruptive technology over the next 10 years, with a high potential for even greater mortality improvements than in the past – even heralding a systematic improvement in cancer therapy. Genomics is a big enabler, but with new dimensions of complexity. Insurers will correspondingly require professional expertise in medicine and oncology. Business solution: Delivering affordable, attractive, sustainable and future-proofed products We hope you found this overview helpful. Don’t miss the next article in this series on cancer classification, “Part 4: Genomic Sequencing of Tumours – Driving all New Developments in Cancer Medicine”, find out how genomic sequencing is the key enabler for doctors to better diagnose and identify the appropriate drugs, therapies and/or clinical trials for patients – coming out soon. Contact PartnerRe Our approach is one of partnership, shared expertise and the creation of success for our clients. We look forward to discussing these trends and concepts with you, and to turning them into concrete solutions for your business. Bryce Shepherd, Head of Capabilities Development, Life & Health, APAC This article is for general information, education and discussion purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. References: 1 The spread of cancer cells to other organs of the body. 2 PartnerRe 2021 Cancer Series. Part 2: Cancer Diagnostics – Earlier Detection & Impact on Incidence. 3 https://www.iqvia.com/-/media/iqvia/pdfs/institute-reports/global-oncology-trends-2021/global-oncology-trends-report-2021-05-21-forweb.pdf?_=1623233499545 4 https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JCO.20.03420 Recent Articles Previous Next 12 Cyber Insurance – The Market’s View A worldwide cyber market survey – carried out by PartnerRe in partnership with Advisen. View the 2021 survey result slides The slides are packed with […] VIEW MORE Locations Select One Contact About Us News Risk Solutions Careers Financial Information Opinions & Research © 2021. PartnerRe. All rights reserved. User Agreement Terms of Use | Web Privacy and Cookie Policy | Business Privacy Notice Cookies Settings By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 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