A recent report from the Institute of Cancer Research has found that cancer patients are waiting longer for innovative new cancer drugs than for more conventional treatments, suggesting that the most “exciting” new treatments  have not been successfully fast tracked. In addition, the higher the level of innovation of a cancer drug, the longer it takes to pass through clinical trials, licensing and appraisal for availability on the NHS.

The researchers found that most innovative cancer drugs took 3.2 years longer to go from patent filing through to availability on the NHS than low-innovation treatments. Between 2000 and the end of 2016, the most innovative new drugs took 14.3 years to progress from patent filing through to availability on the NHS – compared with 13.5 years for medium-innovation drugs and 11.1 years for the least innovative treatments. Clinical trials through to licensing was the area for most of the delay.

Study leader professor Paul Workman, chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research said the research “makes clear that our regulatory systems are not keeping pace with advances in the science. It is taking longer for new drugs to reach patients and, alarmingly, the delays are longest for the most exciting, innovative treatments, with the greatest potential to transform the lives of patients.”

Read more in PharmaTimes here