Cancer drugs have claimed their spot as key products in the pharmaceutical portfolio, along with treatments for high cholesterol, ulcers and depression.

Cancer treatment is one of the fastest-growing areas of the pharmaceutical industry and as such, the marketing budgets that accompany their development and launch also continue to grow, said a report.
Anti-cancer products recorded global sales of more than $20 billion in 2004. That is a 17 per cent jump from 2003 - one of the biggest leaps among all therapeutic areas, said the report.
Not surprisingly, drug makers with growing oncology portfolios such as Roche, Amgen and Sanofi-Aventis reported positive results this year.
Unlike mass-market products for conditions such as high cholesterol or arthritis, cancer drugs require careful marketing that educates specialists in the oncologist community. Companies spend an average of $76.8 million commercialising their cancer drugs, according to “Oncology Brand Commercialisation: Resource Allocation,” a report by business intelligence firm Cutting Edge Information.