In the past decade, a new paradigm has emerged in the form of drugs that target the genetic abnormalities that cause a normal cell to become cancerous. These targeted therapies are the fastest growing segment in the oncology market, and are poised to garner a respectable share of a global anti-cancer market projected to reach $70 billion by the end of this decade. Currently, there are 24 such compounds in Phase III clinical trials. The complex challenges in developing these drugs haven't deterred start-ups from entering the fray.
Cancer drugs have traditionally been all about killing cells. Because tumor cells divide rapidly, they are more vulnerable to these agents, but so are bone marrow cells, hair follicles, and cells that line the stomach, and that accounts for the most common of chemotherapy’s debilitating side effects.
In the past decade, a new paradigm has emerged in the form of drugs that target the genetic abnormalities that...