High cost oncology drugs without proof of added benefit are burdening health systems

In recent decades, drug discovery and development has undergone remarkable progress, leading to groundbreaking biomedical innovations such as targeted therapies, cell and gene therapies, and mRNA vaccines. But this surge in advances has posed a challenge for health systems, leading to increasing budgetary distress because of the high numbers of innovative, albeit costly, drugs entering the market.12345 This challenge is particularly pronounced in oncology. The share of oncology products entering the global drugs market increased from 30% in 2010 to 50% in 2020, and global spending on these drugs is projected to rise from $164bn in 2020 to $269bn by 2025.67 In this context, research into the rational use of expensive oncology drugs is needed to ensure that budgets of health systems are well spent.Oncology drugs are increasingly approved through expedited pathways to ensure timely access to treatments (for unmet medical needs such as rare cancers with no satisfactory treatment…
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