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Neoplasms, Head and Neck

Oncology
11
Pipeline Programs
5
Companies
3
Clinical Trials
0
Approved Products

Pipeline by Development Stage

Preclinical
Phase 1
Phase 1/2
Phase 2
Phase 2/3
Phase 3
On Market
0
0
0
3
0
8
0
Early DiscoveryClinical DevelopmentMarket

Drug Modality Breakdown

Monoclonal Antibody
889%
Small Molecule
111%
+ 3 programs with unclassified modality

Oncology is a $53.9B market in consolidation, dominated by a handful of megacap players with blockbuster franchises approaching patent expiration.

$53.9B marketConsolidating→ Stable30 products15 companies

Key Trends

  • Heavy patent cliff exposure (REVLIMID $3.9B LOE 2028, JAKAFI $1.9B LOE 2028)
  • Kinase inhibitors and immunomodulatory agents dominate spend; limited diversification in top 10
  • Clinical trial volume remains exceptionally high (29,145 trials) but concentration in Phase 1-2 signals early-stage pipeline challenges

Career Verdict

Strong near-term opportunity for R&D and medical affairs roles, but competitive landscape and patent cliff urgency favor specialists over generalists.

AI-generated market analysis based on FDA, CMS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and hiring data

Market Leaders

#1ELIQUISStable
$18.3B
Bristol Myers Squibb·Launch15.0yr
#2FARXIGAStable
$4.3B
AstraZeneca·Peak15.4yr
#3REVLIMIDDeclining
$3.9B
Bristol Myers Squibb·LOE Approaching1.8yr
#4XTANDIStable
$2.6B
Astellas·Peak10.7yr
#5IMBRUVICAStable
$2.4B
AbbVie·Peak8.9yr

Drug Class Breakdown

FXa Inhibitors
$18.3B(34%)

concentrated in single product

SGLT2 Inhibitors
$4.3B(8%)

single dominant product

Kinase Inhibitors
$4.0B(7%)

multi-product class, competitive

Immunomodulatory Agents (Cereblon)
$3.9B(7%)

facing near-term patent cliff

Androgen Receptor Antagonists
$2.6B(5%)

prostate cancer specialty

Protein Kinase Inhibitors
$2.4B(4%)

niche hematologic oncology

JAK Inhibitors
$1.9B(4%)

near-term LOE exposure

Career Outlook

Stable

Oncology remains a premium therapeutic area but faces structural headwinds: top 10 products account for >80% of spend, patent cliffs loom (REVLIMID 2028), and late-stage pipeline thinness suggests slower near-term growth. However, high trial volume and consolidation create demand for specialized expertise in regulatory, clinical operations, and lifecycle management. Pharma professionals with kinase inhibitor, immunomodulatory, or ADC experience are in highest demand.

Breaking In

Entry-level candidates should target CROs (Thermo Fisher, IQVIA), emerging biotech (BeiGene, BeOne), or contract manufacturing; oncology specialization requires demonstrated domain knowledge.

For Experienced Professionals

Experienced professionals should focus on lifecycle/patent strategy roles (high salary, low headcount) or pivot to emerging modalities (ADCs, bispecifics) to avoid commoditization in crowded kinase inhibitor space.

In-Demand Skills

Regulatory strategy & PDUFA navigationKinase inhibitor development (small molecule)Clinical trial operations & site managementLifecycle management & patent strategyMedical affairs (oncology-specific science)Manufacturing scale-up (small molecule & biotech)

Best For

Regulatory Affairs ManagerClinical Operations ManagerMedical Science Liaison (MSL) — OncologyLifecycle ManagerR&D Scientist (medicinal chemistry, ADME)Manufacturing Engineer

Hiring Landscape

$102K–$266K

Oncology hiring is actively concentrated at Thermo Fisher Scientific (CRO/CDMO services, 559 jobs), AstraZeneca (208 jobs), and emerging biotech players like BeiGene (185 jobs). Commercial roles dominate (412 jobs, $136K avg) but R&D positions offer the highest salary premium ($199K avg, 347 roles). Patent cliff urgency is creating acute demand for regulatory, CMC, and lifecycle management expertise.

1,946
Open Roles
5
Companies Hiring
5
Departments

Top Hiring Companies

208Stable
185Growing
167Growing
147Growing

By Department

Commercial(21%)
$136K
Research & Development(18%)
$199K
Clinical Operations(5%)
$181K
Medical Affairs(4%)
$266K
Manufacturing(5%)
$102K

Strong near-term hiring momentum, especially in CRO/CDMO and emerging biotech; Medical Affairs offers highest compensation but limited headcount.

Competitive Landscape

4 companies ranked by most advanced pipeline stage

ViiV Healthcare
ViiV HealthcareNC - Durham
7 programs
3
4
DostarlimabPhase 3Monoclonal Antibody
FeladilimabPhase 3Monoclonal Antibody
LapatinibPhase 3Small Molecule
feladilimabPhase 3Monoclonal Antibody
DostarlimabPhase 2Monoclonal Antibody
+2 more programs
Sharp Therapeutics
Sharp TherapeuticsPA - Pittsburgh
2 programs
2
FeladilimabPhase 3Monoclonal Antibody
feladilimabPhase 3Monoclonal Antibody
MSD
MSDIreland - Ballydine
2 programs
2
FeladilimabPhase 3Monoclonal Antibody1 trial
feladilimabPhase 3Monoclonal Antibody1 trial
Active Trials
NCT04428333Terminated117Est. Sep 2023
NCT04128696Terminated315Est. Jun 2023
GSK
GSKLONDON, United Kingdom
1 program
GSK1363089PHASE_21 trial
Active Trials
NCT00725764Completed14Est. May 2009

Trial Timeline

Clinical trial activity over time

2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
MSDFeladilimab
MSDfeladilimab
GSKGSK1363089

Clinical Trials (3)

Total enrollment: 446 patients across 3 trials

NCT04428333MSDFeladilimab

Study of GSK3359609 With Pembrolizumab and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-Platinum Chemotherapy in Participants With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Start: Aug 2020Est. completion: Sep 2023117 patients
Phase 3Terminated
NCT04128696MSDfeladilimab

Study of GSK3359609 and Pembrolizumab in Programmed Death Receptor 1-ligand 1 (PD-L1) Positive Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Start: Nov 2019Est. completion: Jun 2023315 patients
Phase 3Terminated
NCT00725764GSKGSK1363089

Phase 2 Study of GSK1363089 (Formerly XL880) in Adults With Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck

Start: Aug 2007Est. completion: May 200914 patients
Phase 2Completed

Related Jobs in Oncology

Phase Legend

PreclinicalLab & animal studies
Phase 1Safety & dosing
Phase 2Efficacy testing
Phase 3Large-scale trials
On MarketApproved & available

Key Insights

8 late-stage (Phase 3) programs, potential near-term approvals
Monoclonal Antibody is the dominant modality (89% of programs)
5 companies competing in this space

The information on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Drug information is sourced from FDA, DailyMed, and other government databases. Adverse event data from FAERS does not establish causation. Always consult a healthcare professional for medical decisions.