Gene therapy prevents the progression of an illness by altering the expression of mutated genes or the biological characteristics of living cells for therapeutic purposes. It includes viral vectors, bacterial vectors, plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), human gene editing technology, and patient-derived cellular gene therapy. It entails inserting a healthy gene into an individual's genome to correct a mutation causing a genetic disorder.
Numerous gene therapy treatments exist, including ex vivo, in vivo, and in situ gene therapy. Gene therapy functions by inhibiting, amplifying, and removing cells that cause disease. It can eliminate disease symptoms permanently and cure diseases for which there is no preventative medication.
In recent years, the prevalence of chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and others, has surged dramatically, resulting in a significant increase in the healthcare expenditures of individuals. Gene therapy is more effective than conventional medicine; as a result, it is gaining popularity among cancer patients and those with other diseases, driving market expansion.
In 2019, according to information published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, one in five people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifespan, and one in eight men and one in eleven women will perish due to the disease. Consequently, the growing burden of cancer increases the burden of diagnostic facilities, which will significantly contribute to the market's growth.
Rapid advances in biomedical sciences may lead to the creation of innovative and sophisticated gene therapy techniques. Gene therapy is advancing towards perfection by utilizing a diverse range of state-of-the-art technology. It is currently positioned to capitalize on promising biotechnology revolutions. According to the March 2021 Frontier in Genome Edition article titled "CRISPR/Cas: Advances, Limitations, and Applications for Cancer Precision Research," CRISPR/Cas is a technology capable of modifying the genomes of eukaryotic cells in living organisms, making it one of the most significant scientific advances of the twenty-first century. Technological advances have made applying this method to basic and clinical research feasible in recent years. Therefore, technological advancements in CRISPR gene therapy will aid in diagnosing numerous chronic diseases, likely creating opportunities in the gene therapy market.
North America is the most significant global gene therapy market 1share and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 24.81% during the forecast period. The market for gene therapy in North America is driven by the robust regulatory framework for cellular therapy development and the presence of numerous biopharmaceutical companies. These organizations are increasingly endorsing gene therapy technologies, which is expected to stimulate market growth. In May 2019, AveXis, a subsidiary of Novartis, announced that the US FDA had approved the use of Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) to treat pediatric patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who are younger than two years old and have bi-allelic mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene.
Additionally, according to the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Canadian researchers are currently or have recently participated in a large number of gene therapy trials, including two of the three trials for the drug alipogene tiparvovec for monogenic lipoprotein lipase deficiency, which has a high prevalence in Quebec due to the founder effect (151–153). Consequently, the factors above will likely contribute to future market expansion.