Malignant Mesothelioma Therapeutics Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Drug Type (Pemetrexed, Cisplatin, Carboplatin, Gemcitabine, Vinorelbine, Others), By Route of Administration (Oral, Parenteral), By End User (Hospitals, Cancer Centers, Others), By Region and Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 260.62 Million
CAGR (2026-2031)	6.59%
Fastest Growing Segment	Oral
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 382.21 Million

Market Overview

The Global Malignant Mesothelioma Therapeutics Market will grow from USD 260.62 Million in 2025 to USD 382.21 Million by 2031 at a 6.59% CAGR. Malignant mesothelioma therapeutics consist of specialized pharmacological interventions, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted agents, administered to manage aggressive cancers originating in the mesothelial lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart. The growth of this market is fundamentally supported by the rising adoption of regulatory-approved dual immunotherapy regimens and the sustained prevalence of asbestos-related diagnoses in regions with historical industrial exposure. These structural demand factors are distinct from short-term prescription shifts or transient technological trends.

A primary challenge impeding market expansion is the difficulty of recovering high research and development costs due to the extreme rarity of the indication. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2025, approximately 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed annually in the United States. This limited patient population restricts the commercial viability of novel treatments and complicates the recruitment of sufficient participants for late-stage clinical trials, thereby slowing the pace of therapeutic innovation.

Key Market Drivers

The most transformative force currently reshaping the Global Malignant Mesothelioma Therapeutics Market is the rapid advancement of immunotherapy and regulatory approvals for novel drug combinations. Pharmaceutical developers are successfully moving beyond traditional chemotherapy-only protocols by introducing immune checkpoint inhibitors that demonstrate superior survival benefits for unresectable cases. This shift is exemplified by the regulatory success of pembrolizumab combinations which provide new standard-of-care options for patients with limited alternatives. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, September 2024, in the 'FDA approves pembrolizumab with chemotherapy for unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma' press release, the approval was granted based on trial efficacy data showing a reduction in the risk of death by 21% compared to chemotherapy alone. Such high-profile approvals not only validate new mechanisms of action but also compel healthcare providers to update treatment guidelines, thereby driving the commercial adoption of premium-priced biologics.

Sustained market demand is fundamentally underpinned by the legacy of widespread asbestos exposure and the long latency period of the disease, which keeps patient numbers stable in industrialized nations despite bans on asbestos use. This "long tail" of incidence ensures a consistent patient pool requiring therapeutic intervention. According to the Health and Safety Executive, August 2024, in the 'Mesothelioma Statistics for Great Britain, 2024' report, there were 2,257 mesothelioma deaths recorded in 2022, highlighting the persistent burden of past industrial exposures in specific regions. This consistent prevalence supports the revenue streams of specialized medical device and drug companies operating in this niche. Reflecting the financial scale of this specialized treatment sector, according to Novocure, in 2024, the company reported total net revenues of $155.1 million for the third quarter, driven largely by the utilization of its proprietary therapy in major markets.

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Key Market Challenges

The extreme rarity of malignant mesothelioma creates a substantial economic barrier that directly impedes the growth of the global therapeutics market. Pharmaceutical companies face high research and development costs when formulating specialized treatments, yet the limited global patient population offers a narrow commercial avenue for recovering these significant investments. This unfavorable ratio between high capital expenditure and low potential sales volume discourages manufacturers from prioritizing mesothelioma programs, leading to a reduced pipeline of novel drug candidates and fewer market entrants compared to more prevalent oncology indications.

Furthermore, this scarcity of patients creates severe logistical hurdles for the execution of mandatory clinical trials. Securing a sufficient number of eligible participants for large-scale studies is exceptionally difficult, often resulting in extended enrollment periods and delayed regulatory submissions. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2024, only 684 new cases of mesothelioma were diagnosed in Australia. Such low incidence rates across major established markets fragment the available pool of trial candidates, directly prolonging development timelines and slowing the introduction of innovative therapies into the commercial space.

Key Market Trends

The Development of Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting the Hippo Pathway is gaining momentum as a precise therapeutic avenue for mesothelioma, particularly for tumors driven by NF2 mutations. Novel agents are being designed to block the interaction between YAP/TAZ and TEAD proteins, effectively disrupting the transcriptional activity that fuels cancer cell proliferation. This mechanism represents a significant breakthrough for patients who have exhausted standard options, offering a targeted alternative to systemic chemotherapy. According to Fierce Biotech, October 2025, in the 'Vivace hits high note in midstage mesothelioma trial' article, the experimental TEAD inhibitor VT3989 demonstrated a median progression-free survival of 40 weeks in treatment-resistant patients, more than doubling the 15-week benchmark associated with standard salvage chemotherapy.

Simultaneously, the Emergence of Mesothelin-Targeted Therapies is reshaping the landscape, with a renewed focus on cellular interventions that direct the immune system toward this highly expressed surface protein. Developers are increasingly combining chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies with checkpoint inhibitors to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment common in pleural malignancies. This multimodal strategy is yielding extended survival data in advanced clinical studies, validating the utility of directing cytotoxic payloads or engineered cells to mesothelin-positive tissues. According to Mesothelioma.com, August 2025, in the 'Experimental Treatments | New Therapies for Mesothelioma' report, a recent study evaluating mesothelin-targeted CAR T-cell therapy combined with pembrolizumab observed a median overall survival of 23.9 months, highlighting the potential of this targeted approach to surpass historical second-line outcomes.

Segmental Insights

The Oral segment represents the fastest-growing category within the Global Malignant Mesothelioma Therapeutics Market, primarily driven by the increasing development and adoption of patient-centric treatment modalities. This expansion is fueled by the introduction of novel oral small molecule inhibitors and targeted therapies, which offer a non-invasive alternative to traditional intravenous chemotherapy. Market analysis indicates that the convenience of self-administration significantly enhances medication adherence and reduces the logistical burden on healthcare facilities. Furthermore, the shift towards home-based care models continues to accelerate the demand for these accessible oral formulations, positioning them as a critical area of innovation for pharmaceutical developers.

Regional Insights

North America dominates the global malignant mesothelioma therapeutics market, primarily driven by the rising incidence of the disease linked to historical asbestos exposure. This leadership is supported by a robust healthcare infrastructure that facilitates early diagnosis and advanced treatment adoption. The market expansion is further fueled by favorable regulatory initiatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including expedited approvals and orphan drug designations for novel therapies. Additionally, the region hosts numerous clinical trials and key pharmaceutical companies, ensuring continuous innovation and the availability of effective treatment options for patients.

Recent Developments

• In September 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval to the pharmaceutical company Merck for the use of its immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy. This regulatory milestone established the regimen as a first-line treatment for adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma. The approval was supported by data from the pivotal Phase 2/3 KEYNOTE-483 trial, which demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared to standard chemotherapy alone. This development provided a new standard-of-care option for patients suffering from this aggressive form of cancer.
• In June 2024, RS Oncology presented positive clinical data from its Phase 1 MITOPE trial at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. The study investigated the safety and activity of RSO-021, a first-in-class covalent inhibitor of mitochondrial peroxiredoxin 3, in patients with malignant pleural effusion and mesothelioma. The results demonstrated that the investigational agent was well-tolerated and exhibited encouraging anti-tumor activity, including disease stabilization and regression in a subset of heavily pre-treated patients. This research highlighted a novel mechanism of action targeting mitochondrial oxidative stress to treat this difficult malignancy.
• In February 2024, the biotechnology company Ultimovacs received Fast Track designation from the U.S. FDA for its novel cancer vaccine, UV1, aimed at treating malignant pleural mesothelioma. This designation specifically covered the use of UV1 in combination with the checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab and nivolumab for patients with unresectable disease. The regulatory decision followed the presentation of positive results from the randomized Phase II NIPU clinical trial, which indicated a clinically meaningful survival benefit for the combination therapy. This status is intended to facilitate the development and expedite the review of the vaccine to address significant unmet medical needs.
• In February 2024, Polaris Pharmaceuticals announced a significant breakthrough with the publication of results from its Phase 3 ATOMIC-meso clinical trial in JAMA Oncology. The study evaluated the efficacy of pegargiminase, an arginine-depleting therapy, in combination with platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy for patients with non-epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma. The data revealed that the addition of the new therapeutic agent significantly prolonged overall survival and quadrupled the 36-month survival rate compared to chemotherapy alone. This finding marked the first successful Phase 3 trial for a metabolism-targeted drug in this specific patient population in over two decades.

Key Market Players

• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd
• Novartis AG
• Merck & Co. Inc.
• Pfizer Inc.
• Eli Lilly and Co.
• Sanofi S.A.
• AstraZeneca Plc
• Bayer AG
• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.
• GSK Plc

By Drug Type	By Route of Administration	By End User	By Region
Pemetrexed Cisplatin Carboplatin Gemcitabine Vinorelbine Others	Oral Parenteral	Hospitals Cancer Centers Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Malignant Mesothelioma Therapeutics Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Malignant Mesothelioma Therapeutics Market, By Drug Type:

• Pemetrexed
• Cisplatin
• Carboplatin
• Gemcitabine
• Vinorelbine
• Others

• Malignant Mesothelioma Therapeutics Market, By Route of Administration:

• Oral
• Parenteral

• Malignant Mesothelioma Therapeutics Market, By End User:

• Hospitals
• Cancer Centers
• Others

• Malignant Mesothelioma Therapeutics Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE