This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Half of new cancer drugs 'show no benefits'
A new study has revealed that of the 48 cancer drugs approved between 2009-2013, over half showed no benefits and some benefits were ‘clinically meaningless’.
The European Medicines Agency approved 48 cancer drugs between 2009 and 2013 for use as treatments in 68 different situations. However, of those, 57 per cent of uses showed no benefits for either survival or quality of life.
The British Medical Journal study analysed the clinical trials associated with the drugs, and discovered that in only 10 per cent of the uses did the drugs improve quality of life.
Huseyin Naci, co-author of the study, said: “We wanted to see once [the drugs] were already on the market did they actually generate some evidence to show that they improved or extended life?
“What we find very surprising is that not very many studies are looking at overall survival or quality of life as their [primary] objective. Unfortunately the expectation is that once the drugs are on the market then companies will be investing in [longer term] trials to then demonstrate overall survival benefits. But unfortunately these trials are not necessarily taken up and conducted.”
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