Novel Therapeutic Interventions Early in the Disease Trajectory: Drug Development Beyond the Refractory Setting

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Drug Development
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Current limitations in evaluating investigational cancer therapeutics primarily in advanced disease settings.
• Need for novel therapeutic interventions early in the disease trajectory.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss and recommend strategies for evaluating anticancer agents earlier in the disease course.
• To highlight the advantages of early drug evaluation in cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

• Convened a panel of experts at the 2019 Accelerating Anticancer Agent Development Workshop.
• Facilitated an in-depth discussion on novel therapeutic interventions and drug evaluation strategies.

Main Results:

• Recommended evaluating drugs earlier, including in first-line therapy, maintenance, and neoadjuvant settings.
• Identified benefits such as expanded patient populations and earlier response assessment using surrogate endpoints.

Conclusions:

• Early evaluation of anticancer agents enhances treatment tailoring and understanding of biomarker-driven therapies.
• Shifting drug evaluation to earlier disease stages promises improved clinical benefit and patient outcomes.