The oncology drug pipeline is far larger than any other therapy area across the pharmaceutical industry, with 6,484 products in active development across all indications, suggesting significant opportunities for new market entries, business intelligence provider GBI Research says in its latest study.

The research found that most of the products in development were in the early stages, with 2,937 (around 45% of the total pipeline) at the preclinical stage and 1,591 (25%) at the discovery stage.

According to Dominic Trewartha, managing analyst for GBI Research, the therapeutic pipeline is highly diverse, containing a broad array of mechanisms of action. This, he said, “contrasts heavily with the market, which predominantly consists of chemotherapy, hormonal and central nervous system targets.”

The research identified “a large number of first-in-class oncology products in development,” with 2,084 across all stages. Some 46% of pipeline products have a disclosed target, which GBI said indicates “a very high level of investment in the development of innovative products in this therapy area.”

A significant characteristic of the oncology treatment pipeline, according to GBI, is the overlap between indications, with 24% of first-in-class products in development targeting at least two of the key types of cancer.

Within the oncology segment, cancers of the breast and lung were found to have the highest levels of developmental activity, with a total of 913 and 804 pipeline products, respectively.