Drug Industry Taking Bigger Role in Clinical Cancer Trials
By Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Oct. 1, 2024 -- Clinical trials sponsored by Big Pharma enrolled eight times as many patients as U.S.-government trials did between 2018 and 2022, new research shows.
The study -- conducted by researchers at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle -- underscores the lack of investment in federally funded studies and a growing reliance on industry research. The magnitude of the gap researchers identified took them by surprise.
"We recognized that industry was playing an increasing role in cancer clinical research compared to decades ago," said lead study author Joseph Unger, a health services researcher and biostatistician at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle. "But we didn't realize the difference was this dramatic."
The study, which relied on data from clinicaltrials.gov, looked at more than 26,000 cancer trials.
Compared to 2008-2012, the share of enrollments attributed to industry versus federal support rose from 4.8 to 9.6 in adults, and from 0.7 to 2.3 in children.
Federally funded studies provide demographic diversity, the study pointed out. The number of Black participants enrolled in government-supported research was three times that of industry-funded research.
The findings were published Sept. 27 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The researchers noted that federally funded research looks beyond industry's focus on supporting new drug approvals, into combining treatment types and whether approved drugs work in other cancers, for example.
"Underinvestment in federally funded cancer clinical research results in missed opportunities for scientific, clinical and population advances," Unger said in a cancer center news release. "Federally funded clinical trials have contributed to more than 14 million life years gained over four decades and have helped improve clinical care guidelines for patients."
Researchers said both industry- and government-funded trials are important.
"Industry investment in cancer clinical research has accelerated precision oncology and cancer immunotherapy tremendously," Unger said, pointing to industry's role in new drug discovery. "However, with increased federal investment in cancer research as well, we could see even greater strides in treatment options for patients with cancer."
Sources
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center, news release, Sept. 27, 2024
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2024
Read this next
Celebrity Diagnoses Underscore Rising Breast Cancer Rates in Young Women
MONDAY, June 9, 2025 — More young women in the United States are being diagnosed with breast cancer and several celebrities have helped raise awareness by sharing their...
Ex-White House Doctor Says Biden Should Have Had a Cognitive Test
MONDAY, June 9, 2025 — A former White House physician says former President Joe Biden should have had a cognitive test during his 2024 physical, given his age and the...
AI Can Boost Radiologists' Efficiency Without Sacrificing Accuracy
MONDAY, June 9, 2025 -- Artificial intelligence (AI) can boost radiologists’ ability to quickly and accurately assess people’s X-rays, a new study says. Some...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.