The liver cancer therapeutics market was valued at $382.2m in 2009, indicating a growth rate of 27.1% between 2001 and 2009. Until the market entry of Nexavar (sorafenib) in 2007, the liver cancer therapeutics market was growing at a rate of only 9%. Up until now, Nexavar has been the only approved drug for the treatment of liver cancer. Even though Nexavar extends overall survival by only three months, the drug is widely prescribed in the US and in some countries in Europe. The late-stage clinical development pipeline consists of many first-in-class and me-too drugs that are effective and safe for liver cancer patients. Once these drugs enter the market, the market will grow further at a significant rate. GlobalData estimates that the liver cancer therapeutics market in 2017 will be $1.2bn.

High Unmet Needs Exist in the Liver Cancer Therapeutics Market in Terms of Efficacy and Safety

The liver cancer market has high unmet needs in terms of both efficacy and safety. More than 90% of patients diagnosed with liver cancer are between 45 years and 85 years of age. Nexavar is the only available Food and Drug Association (FDA) approved treatment for advanced liver cancer patients. However, the median survival time in patients treated with Nexavar is only three months more than for patients treated with a placebo. Moreover, Nexavar has a low safety profile. About 39% and 6% of Nexavar-treated patients reported grade 3 and grade 4 adverse reactions respectively.

The Liver Cancer Pipeline is Very Strong with Many New First-In-Class Drugs in Late-Stage Clinical Development

The liver cancer pipeline is very strong, with approximately 54 molecules in the various stages of development. The majority of these molecules are first-in-class molecules that act on new receptors with new mechanisms of action. The late-stage pipeline is inundated with many first-in-class molecules, such as Miripla (miripaltin), and S-1. Miripla was approved in Japan for the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) in January 2010. The drug is undergoing clinical trials in the US and Europe and is expected to receive regulatory approval by 2011. The first-in-class molecules are primarily Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors, selective estrogen receptor modulators and light activated therapies.

A new study published online by Kaiser Permanente Research Division shows how women of all ages who gain weight after pregnancy are more likely to develop diabetes on their next pregnancy. The study was published in the online journal „Obstetrics and Gynecology” and it was conducted by a team of researchers under the lead of Samantha Ehrlich.

After examining the medical records of more than 20 thousand Kaiser Permanente patients, all mothers who had 2 babies at the Kaiser Permanente facilities, the researchers noted that there is an increased risk of springing up diabetes on the second pregnancy and that the risk is strictly correlated with the amount of body weight acquired after the previous pregnancy.

When compared to a woman that doesn’t gain weight at all after the first pregnancy, gaining around 10 pounds in weight is going to double the risk of developing diabetes during the second pregnancy and when gaining more than 15 pounds the chances of developing diabetes are four times higher than those of a woman that maintains her body mass index at same value after the first pregnancy.

On the positive side, the study shows that losing weight after the first pregnancy is an excellent way to prevent the developing of diabetes later on during a second pregnancy. Losing 5 or 10 pounds after the first pregnancy helps moms stay away from diabetes during the second pregnancy. After losing more than 10 pounds a woman is close to 80% less likely to develop diabetes during the second pregnancy.

Overweight or obese women are advised to lose weight after their first baby and all other women should try and go back to normal weight after giving birth to a baby.

Just recently scientists from the University of Illinois have published a new study in the well known Journal of Physiology. The study shows beyond any doubt that a very high fat diet during the pregnancy months can have a serious impact on the baby’s health and sets the foundation of future obesity. The study shows that it’s irrelevant whether the pregnant woman is herself obese or has any history of diabetes related conditions.

Professor Yuan-Xiang Pan of Illinois University found in his studies that a diet too high in fat during the pregnancy months will modify gene expression in the child’s liver and therefore make the liver more prone to produce high quantities of glucose. This in turn is likely to induce an insulin resistance and diabetes. Furthermore, the study shows that the high fat diet that is causing these changes in the child’s liver  is in fact a typical diet these days containing little above 40% fat.

Thanks to the new study and the fact that epigenetic marks are very easy to observe, scientists hope this will increase the chances to detect and diagnose children born with this tendency and help keep their blood sugar balanced and thus avoid developing diabetes later on  in their life. The study confirms that diet alone is responsible for this propensity towards insulin resistance and the liver’s production of high quantities of glucose. Therefore adjusting the diet would be enough to help prevent them.

Unfortunately there is still little known about how to genetically reverse the baby’s tendency towards diabetes, but keeping close attention to diet and blood sugar should be enough to keep the baby healthy and safe from developing diabetes over time.

One thing made clear by this study is of course the fact that women should stay on a balanced diet during the pregnancy months. Avoiding fat meat and foods rich in saturated fat is very important as it is to avoid too much pastries and to much desserts. However, it is very important that a pregnant woman has a proper omega fatty acids intake which will help in the development of the child’s brain. Some varieties of fish, whole grain bread and eggs are essential to a healthy diet during pregnancy.  Women should ask a nutritionist for help if they want to find out more about what is healthy in terms of  food for both the mother and the baby during pregnancy.