Targeted cancer drugs boost success rates
pharmafile | November 18, 2008 | News story | Research and Development |
Targeted cancer drugs like Herceptin and Glivec have greatly improved pharma's oncology pipeline success rates, according to a new study.
Scientists from Cancer Research found cancer drugs now have an 18% chance of coming to market, and that kinase inhibitors like Herceptin are almost three times more likely to reach the market than other types of anti-cancer treatments.
But the researchers called for the pharmaceutical industry to be more open about its oncology pipeline failures, to help direct future drug development efforts.
Professor Herbie Newell is Cancer Research UK's director of translational research and co-authored the study.
He said: "We strongly believe that both industry and academia must improve the availability of data related to failed as well as successful drug development programmes.
"The sharing of such information can only be beneficial for clinical, scientific and commercial reasons – and will help measure our progress as well as pinpoint areas for improvement."
Cancer Research UK is the world's largest independent funder of cancer research. Its scientists obtained data on 974 cancer drugs in clinical development, and calculated that there was a probability 18% of candidates entering human studies would make it to market. This is a significant increase over the rate recorded in a 2004 study, which estimated only 5% of cancer drugs would make it through the pipeline.
The survey singles out kinase inhibitors such as Roche's breast cancer treatment Herceptin, saying they tend to be less toxic than other types of anti-cancer drugs, resulting in fewer side effects and greater clinical trial success rates. Unlike traditional chemotherapy drugs which kill healthy cells as well as cancerous ones, the newer drugs use a number of more direct methods to stop the cancer spreading.
The charity has a commercial arm, Cancer Research Technology, which works with leading cancer scientists and their institutes to protect intellectual property from their research and to establish links with commercial partners.
Cancer Research Technology's licensing manager Dr Ian Walker said: "This analysis clearly demonstrates the benefits of developing molecularly targeted treatments for cancer.
"It highlights the fact that understanding more about the basic biology of cancer is making a real difference to the success rate of new anti-cancer drug development. It's clear that further significant achievements in cancer drug development will be dependent on continued research into new and relevant molecular targets."
Professor Newell added: "These findings highlight the fact that we are working in a really exciting time for cancer drug discovery."
