Throughout the last decade, FDA approvals for cancer therapies outpaced endorsements for antibiotics, drugs treating central nervous system disorders and cardiovascular medications, according to STAT.
In fact, between 2010 and 2018, the FDA approved 126 cancer drugs. This represented 27 percent of all agency drug approvals during that time. In comparison, just 4 percent of FDA drug approvals were cancer treatments during the 1980s.
According to Joseph DiMasi, PhD, director of economic analysis and research associate professor at Boston-based Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, new development approaches — including clinical trial design and new drug formats — helped drive the surge in new oncology products.
STAT noted that the FDA also is responding to pressure from patients and lawmakers to increase the rate and number of approvals.
Read the full report here.
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