07 January 2019

Only 8% of new cancer drug authorisations are for children - this needs to improve

The ICR has published a report called 'From patent to patient - analysing access to innovative cancer drugs

The report, From patent to patient - analysing access to innovative cancer drugs, looks at how efficiently new cancer drugs licensed in Europe reach NHS patients here in the UK. The main findings were:


    - Only 8% of new drug authorisations are for children
    - Cancers of unmet need, such as brain, womb, bladder, oesophageal, liver and pancreatic are missing out on advances
    - Leaps forward in cancer research mean many more new drugs
    - Average time from patent to NHS patient increased by more than a year
    - NICE is not doing enough to ensure most innovative treatments reach patients.