Positron emission tomography (PET) and anticancer drug development

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• The last decade has seen significant growth in novel cancer drug candidates entering clinical evaluation.
• High attrition rates persist in cancer drug development, from early trials to regulatory approval.
• Industry value is increasingly derived from 'best-in-class' innovations rather than purely 'first-in-class' novel agents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the high attrition rate in cancer drug development.
• To explore novel methods for early assessment of drug efficacy and proof-of-principle.
• To improve the success of new anti-cancer agents through better early evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent trends in cancer drug development.
• Analysis of industry value creation from different types of drug innovation.
• Discussion of limitations of conventional anatomical imaging for assessing treatment response.
• Exploration of the need for advanced methods for early efficacy assessment.

Main Results:

• Cancer drug development expansion is coupled with a high failure rate.
• Clinically validated 'best-in-class' innovations generate more industry value than 'first-in-class' drugs.
• Conventional anatomical imaging may be inadequate for evaluating many new cancer agents and could contribute to attrition.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need for improved early assessment methods in cancer drug development.
• Advanced techniques are required to demonstrate proof-of-principle and efficacy for novel cancer therapies.
• Rethinking response assessment strategies is crucial to reduce the high attrition rates in oncology drug development.