Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment in recent years. Immuno-oncology drugs help the body’s immune system fight cancer and have shown unprecedented results against various cancer types. Over the past decade, immuno-oncology has emerged as one of the most promising areas of oncology drug development globally.

India, with its large cancer patient population and a rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry, is well positioned to benefit from developments in this field. Awareness about Immuno-Oncology Drugs among medical professionals and patients in India is also increasing steadily. Leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies view India as an attractive for immuno-oncology drugs. Let us explore some key aspects of India’s immuno-oncology drugs.

Size and Growth Projections
The rapid growth can be attributed to increasing cancer incidence rates in India, rising healthcare spends, availability of better medical insurance coverage for cancer treatments, faster regulatory approvals for new immuno-oncology drugs, and growing awareness among doctors and patients. Additionally, several biopharma companies have introduced affordable biosimilar versions of blockbuster immuno-oncology drugs, making treatments more accessible.

Top Selling Drugs
Currently, checkpoint inhibitor drugs dominate India’s immuno-oncology landscape. Some of the top-selling immuno-oncology drugs in India include Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo (nivolumab), Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab), and Roche’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab). Opdivo annual sales in India are estimated at over Rs. 400 crore currently.

Other popular drugs include recombinant interleukin-2 injections from GlaxoSmithKline and BMS, and cancer vaccines such as MSD’s Gardasil, which is approved for use against HPV-related cancers. A wide range of biosimilar versions of these blockbusters have also increased patient access. In the next few years, a large number of promising immuno-oncology pipeline drugs are expected to be launched in India.

Regional Product Manufacturing
Several leading Indian pharmaceutical companies such as Dr. Reddy’s, Zydus Cadila, and Biocon have forayed into indigenous development and manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, and other novel biologic modalities for cancer immunotherapy. Their affordable biosimilars are increasing patient access to Immuno-oncology treatments.
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