Collategene by AnGes MG, Cardium Therapeutics' Generx, and Vical Incorporation's Allovectin-7 are in development for a wide range of cancer indications, and are expected to compete in the oncology therapeutics market as the market acceptance of gene therapy improves over time.
Gene therapy holds the potential to deliver tumor suppressor genes to an individual, preventing the growth of malignant tumors and reducing metastatic disease. The prevalence of cancer means that 38 percent of all ongoing gene therapy pipeline projects are for cancer, with particular focus given to rare tumor types such as pancreatic cancer, and highly prevalent tumor types such as breast cancer and prostate cancer, in which case advanced forms of the disease are likely to be the primary targets.

However, patients may have a while to wait. Although the gene therapy pipeline portfolio has 145 pipeline projects under research and development, only 10 projects are in Phase III clinical studies, and only three gene therapy products have reached the market so far.

A market authorization application (MAA) was filed for Glybera and Cerepro, but the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) denied their marketing authorization due to a lack of reliable evidence to support the drugs clinical benefit.