Cancer treatment is lagging in UK because NHS watchdogs take too long to approve new drugs

Experts at The Institute of Cancer Research have warned that cancer treatment in lagging in the UK because NHS watchdogs are taking too long to approve some of the best new drugs.

Although an increasing number of drugs have been licensed since 2000 to target new mutations in cancer, some are taking over 20 years to reach patients because NHS regulators are ‘too risk-averse’.

Professor Paul Workman, study leader and chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, said the study showed that drug regulation was not keeping pace with advances in science.

He went on to say “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.

“At the moment the whole ecosystem for drug discovery and development – involving regulators, researchers and companies – is too risk-averse.”

Currently there are around 363,000 new cases of cancer each year in the UK.

As cancer can evolve and become resistant, making targeted treatments that were initially effective of less use, innovative new treatments are crucial as a result, and are invaluable if they allow a patient with resistant forms of the disease to be given more time.

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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