Paraganglioma is an uncommon form of tumor that develops from paraganglia, which are specialized cells. The neuroendocrine system, which controls numerous physiological functions, including heart rate and blood pressure, includes these cells. Paragangliomas can occur anywhere in the body; however, they are most commonly found in the head and neck along the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Although these tumors are typically benign (noncancerous), their size and location may cause them to invade locally and manifest symptoms.
The symptoms of paragangliomas change depending on the area of the body where the tumor is located. Symptoms may include headaches, profuse perspiration, palpitations, and elevated blood pressure, among other symptoms associated with the overproduction of hormones. Paragangliomas may occasionally be unintentionally detected during imaging procedures conducted for unrelated objectives. In most cases, paragangliomas are eliminated surgically as part of their treatment.
The increasing incidence of paraganglioma on a global scale is anticipated to drive market growth. The exact occurrence rate of paraganglioma is not well understood due to the common practice of conflating its clinical characteristics with those of pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma is estimated to occur collectively at a rate of approximately 0.8 per 100,000 person-years annually, with between 500 and 1600 cases reported annually in the United States.
Although these tumors were thought to be uncommon, a closer look at the autopsy series shows that their prevalence is higher than expected, meaning that many go undiscovered for their whole lives. A genetic association is observed in around 25% of cases, and the tumors frequently secrete hormones in excessive quantities, a process that can lead to critical complications such as hypertension, cardiac dysfunction, and cerebrovascular accidents. This is anticipated to stimulate market expansion.
The introduction and approval of innovative pharmaceuticals for treating paraganglioma by major industry participants generate market expansion prospects. For instance, the U.S. FDA authorized the initial non-surgical treatment for the rare neuroendocrine cancers pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma in August 2018. Progenics Pharmaceuticals was granted authorization for AZEDRA (iobenguane I131) after an investigation by researchers affiliated with the Abramson Cancer Center across multiple centers.
AZEDRA is a highly specific and bioactive radiotherapeutic agent intended for the treatment of pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma in patients of 12 years or older who have received a diagnosis of the disease. In addition to a positive iobenguane scan, the following conditions must exist in these patients: unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic; systemic anticancer therapy is required. AZEDRA is the sole and initial pharmaceutical product to have been approved for this particular indication.
North America is the most significant global paraganglioma market shareholder and is expected to expand substantially during the forecast period. The region's well-established healthcare system bolsters the expansion of the paraganglioma market, the extensive utilization of innovative radionuclide therapy and radiation therapy techniques by medical practitioners, and the comprehensive availability of advanced diagnostic equipment. Despite being a rare disease, the incidence of paraganglioma has increased over the past few years. Research published in January 2021 in the European Journal of Endocrinology approximated the detection of 251 tumors in a cohort of 239 individuals diagnosed with paraganglioma or pheochromocytoma over seven years in Western Canada. The cohort comprised a total of 5,196,368 individuals. Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma exhibited a combined annual prevalence of 0.66 cases per 100,000 individuals.
Furthermore, the occurrence rates of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma exhibited an upward trend in correlation with age, peaking between the ages of 60 and 79, with 8.85 and 14.68 cases per 100,000 individuals annually, respectively, for males and females. By employing laboratory data (metanephrine >two-fold or normetanephrine >three-fold higher than the upper limit of normal), the algorithm proved to be highly precise in its estimation of the true incidence rate of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma. The estimated incidence is 0.54 cases per 100,000 individuals annually. Therefore, in contrast with reported rates in other regions, the prevalence of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma in a non-biased sample of Western Canadian residents was surprisingly high. This is anticipated to propel the North American market's expansion.
The key players in the global paraganglioma market are Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca, Cipla Inc., Advanced Accelerator Applications, Pfizer Inc., Novartis AG, Eli Lilly and Company, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd, Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Amerigen Pharmaceuticals Limited, Fresenius Kabi AG, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., Ltd, and others.