Sure, We'll (Eventually) Beat Cancer. But Can We Afford To?

Matt Herper’s tour de force article in the latest Forbes magazine suggests that companies and researchers are – perhaps – turning the tables on cancer using novel immunotherapies that are producing nearly unheard of outcomes even in late stage disease. The trillion dollar question: Can we afford to win the war on cancer, given current trends in drug development and pricing? What is really remarkable about Herper’s article is how quickly the oncology field is changing.  The search for drugs over the last decade or so has focused on disrupting tumor biology through targeted therapies modeled after Novartis’ small-molecule blockbuster Gleevec for CML, or monoclonal antibodies like Herceptin for breast cancer.  This approach is reflected in the nearly 50% market share captured by targeted drugs in the world’s largest oncology markets.
Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: news