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Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo
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Published on: February 6, 2015

From bench to bedside: lessons learned in translating preclinical studies in cancer drug development

Christopher H Lieu1, Aik-Choon Tan, Stephen Leong

  • 1Affiliation of authors: Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO (CHL, A-CT, SL, JRD, SGE).

Journal of the National Cancer Institute
|September 21, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Targeted cancer therapies show promise but often fail in clinical trials. Learning from past drug development successes and failures is crucial for improving future translational oncology research and patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Translational Medicine
  • Drug Development

Background:

  • Targeted agents have significantly advanced cancer treatment over the last 20 years.
  • However, many preclinical successes do not translate into clinical benefits for patients.
  • Understanding past translational challenges is vital for optimizing future research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze lessons learned from previous drug development in oncology.
  • To identify factors contributing to the translational gap between preclinical research and clinical success.
  • To guide future translational studies for improved clinical success rates.

Main Methods:

  • Review of historical data from targeted agent development in oncology.
  • Analysis of successes and failures in preclinical to clinical translation.
  • Identification of key elements for effective patient selection and combination strategies.

Main Results:

  • Significant progress in oncology drug development exists.
  • A notable gap persists between bench research and bedside efficacy.
  • Prior translational studies offer valuable insights into drug development challenges.

Conclusions:

  • Learning from past translational oncology research is essential.
  • Improved understanding of drug development failures can enhance future clinical trial design.
  • This approach aims to increase the success rate of targeted therapies and limit ineffective treatments.

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