Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and biosimilars: global market size and growth, GCC and India figures, cancer incidence, the biosimilar and generic opportunity, patient-access programmes, key players and procurement implications.
Oncology is the largest therapeutic category in pharmaceuticals and the fastest-growing, driven by immunotherapy, targeted therapy, antibody–drug conjugates and longer treatment durations. Published estimates for the 2025 global market range from USD 193 bn to USD 282 bn; our central estimate is USD 195 bn, growing at about 9% to USD 356 bn by 2032.
In the GCC, cancer incidence is rising with ageing and screening; originator immunotherapies dominate spend; biosimilars (trastuzumab, bevacizumab, rituximab) are now on tenders. In India, incidence is large in absolute terms, access is constrained by affordability, and Indian generics and biosimilars (imatinib, abiraterone, osimertinib and palbociclib generics; trastuzumab and bevacizumab biosimilars) have made standard therapies available at 5–20% of originator prices.
The chart shows the Consulting Wallah central estimate: published figures normalised to 2025, median taken, and projected at the median published growth rate. The published range for 2025 is USD 193 bn–USD 282 bn; differences are mostly scope.
| Publisher (date) | Base value | Forecast | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| IQVIA Institute (Global Oncology Trends 2025) (2025-05) — Global cancer medicine spending at list prices; up 75% over | USD 252 bn (list prices) (2024) | USD 441 bn (2029) | ~11.8% implied (2024-2029); 11.9% avg annual growth 2020-2024 |
| Nova One Advisor (via BioSpace) (2025-06) — Global oncology drugs market; 2025 est. USD 192.63 bn | USD 179.36 bn (2024) | USD 366.24 bn (2034) | 7.4% (2025-2034) |
| Technavio (2025) — Global oncology drugs market; YoY growth 2024-25 11.8%; targ | None (2024) | incremental growth USD 215.9 bn (2025-2029) (2029) | 13.4% |
| IMARC Group (2026) — Global oncology biosimilars market | USD 7.0 bn (2025) | USD 36.3 bn (2034) | 19.49% (2026-2034) |
| IMARC Group (2026) — India oncology market (diagnostics + treatment); 2030 projec | USD 11.73 bn (2025) | USD 30.01 bn (2034) | 10.45% (2026-2034) |
| MarkNtel Advisors (2026) — India cancer treatment (drugs) market; 2026 est. USD 3.12 bn | USD 2.88 bn (2025) | USD 7.12 bn (2032) | 14.73% (2026-2032) |
| IQVIA (GCC white paper) (2021-04) — GCC-5 oncology market value (MAT Q4 2020): KSA USD 930 mn, E | USD 1,811 mn (GCC-5 incl. Egypt & Lebanon) (2020) | — () | 20.0% value CAGR 2016-2020 |
| Consulting Wallah central estimate | USD 195 bn (2025) | USD 356 bn (2032) | ~9% |
Source: Publisher pages as listed under Sources; CW estimate as described in Method.
Included: cytotoxics, hormonal therapies, targeted small molecules, monoclonal antibodies and immunotherapies, ADCs, supportive-care oncology drugs (G-CSF, antiemetics, bone agents). Excluded: radiotherapy, diagnostics, cell and gene therapies (context only).
Shares as reported by the named sources; ranking is more reliable than the exact percentage.
| Segment | Share | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Targeted + immuno-oncology | 90% | targeted CAGR 27.2% (2016-20); IO CAGR 14.3% |
Source: IQVIA GCC white paper 2021
| Segment | Share | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public tender | 80% | ||
| Hospital channel | 83% | ||
| MNC vs local | 90% |
Source: IQVIA GCC white paper 2021
| Segment | Share | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immunotherapy | 30% | Technavio |
Source: Nova One Advisor; Technavio
| Segment | Share | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Targeted drugs | 44% | by drug class | |
| Breast cancer | 19% | by cancer type | |
| North India | 34% | by region |
Source: MarkNtel Advisors
| Segment | Share | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer treatment | 64.9% | vs diagnostics 35.1% | |
| Lung cancer | 18.7% | leading indication | |
| Hospitals | 53.6% | end use; diagnostic labs 17.4% | |
| West India | 32.4% | North 28.1%, South 22.6%, East 16.9% |
Source: IMARC
| Axis | Segment | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| by therapy class (GCC-5, 2020 value) | Cytotoxics | n/a | CAGR 10.1%; -7.2% in 2020 |
| by therapy class (GCC-5, 2020 value) | Hormonals | n/a | CAGR 18.5% |
| by drug class (global, 2024) | Targeted therapy | largest share | immunotherapy fastest-growing |
| by cancer type (global, 2024) | Lung cancer | largest share | breast fastest-growing |
Source: As listed under Sources.
| Country / region | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia oncology market | USD 929.7 mn (2020), 17.9% CAGR 2016-20 | 2020 | IQVIA |
| UAE oncology market | USD 266.5 mn (2020), 26.4% CAGR 2016-20, +25.7% in 2020 | 2020 | IQVIA |
| Kuwait oncology market | USD 152.7 mn (2020) | 2020 | IQVIA |
| India oncology market (dx + tx) | USD 11.73 bn (2025) -> USD 30.01 bn (2034) | 2025 | IMARC |
| India cancer treatment drugs market | USD 2.88 bn (2025) -> USD 7.12 bn (2032), 14.73% CAGR | 2025 | MarkNtel Advisors |
| GCC liquid biopsy market | USD 98.24 mn (2024) -> USD 309.53 mn (2033), 13.6% CAGR | 2024 | ResearchAndMarkets via Business Wire |
| Saudi Arabia new cancer cases | 24,624 new cases; 10,357 deaths; 76,672 5-yr prevalent (GLOBOCAN 2024) | 2024 | IARC GLOBOCAN |
| UAE new cancer cases | 8,815 new cases; 3,814 deaths; 29,704 5-yr prevalent (GLOBOCAN 2024) | 2024 | IARC GLOBOCAN |
| India new cancer cases | 1,562,581 new cases; 901,828 deaths; 3,324,140 5-yr prevalent (GLOBOCAN 2024) | 2024 | IARC GLOBOCAN |
Source: Sources as named; see Sources and method.
Comprehensive cancer centres (KFSH&RC, KFMC, Burjeel, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Tawam, Dubai Health, Hamad) and NUPCO/Rafed tenders; patient-access and cost-sharing programmes affect net prices; biosimilar adoption is the main savings lever; precision oncology and theranostics (Lu-177) are growth lines.
Tata Memorial’s National Cancer Grid standardises protocols and pools procurement; chains (Apollo, HCG, Max, Fortis, Manipal) run centres; Indian generics and biosimilars (Natco, Dr Reddy’s, Cipla, Biocon, Intas, Zydus) dominate volume; CAR-T (NexCAR19) launched at a tenth of US prices.
| Date | Development | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-05 | IQVIA Global Oncology Trends 2025: global cancer medicine spending hit USD 252 bn in 2024 and is forecast to reach USD 441 bn by 2029; 25 novel oncology drugs launched in 2024. | IQVIA Institute |
| 2025-05 | FDA granted accelerated approval to AbbVie's EMRELIS (telisotuzumab vedotin) for c-Met-high non-squamous NSCLC; FDA also approved belzutifan for PPGL. | Nova One Advisor via BioSpace |
| 2025-03 | Tata Memorial Centre signed MoU with IAEA as 'Anchor Centre' for Rays of Hope; India DAE/BARC launched radiopharmaceutical products. | Nova One Advisor via BioSpace |
| 2025-02 | India's PMBJK scheme reached 15,057 centres offering affordable generics including 87 cancer products. | Nova One Advisor via BioSpace |
| 2025-10 | ResearchAndMarkets published GCC liquid biopsy market report: USD 98.24 mn (2024) to USD 309.53 mn (2033), citing Vision 2030 cancer-centre investment. | Business Wire |
| 2025 | Apollo Hospitals launched Apollo Athenaa, a women's cancer centre in Delhi; Cipla oncology portfolio exceeds 32 drugs. | IMARC |
Source: Company and press announcements as named.
Key companies named across the sources; local distributors and implementation partners matter as much as the brand in the GCC and India.
Published estimates normalised to 2025 range from USD 193 bn to USD 282 bn. Consulting Wallah’s central estimate is USD 195 bn in 2025, rising to about USD 356 bn by 2032.
Published CAGRs range from 7.4% to 11.8%; our central case is about 9% a year to 2032.
Roche, Merck & Co. (MSD), Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie among others.
The summary on this page is free to read and share with attribution. The full report is free for hospital leaders and registered Consulting Wallah Network members, and priced on request for others.
The full report (PDF, 40 pages) adds the GCC and India deep-dives, hospital-level benchmarks from the Consulting Wallah Network and the full source tables. Free for hospital leaders and registered network members; otherwise priced on request.
How to read these figures. Published market-size estimates for this market vary widely because publishers define scope differently (software only vs software + services + logistics). Where we show a Consulting Wallah estimate we state the range of published figures it is triangulated from and our scope. Figures marked as reported are quoted from the named source. Nothing here is investment advice.