February 4 is the 20th anniversary of World Cancer Day, the global event led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise worldwide awareness of cancer trends and treatment, and to catalyze action to provide lifesaving cancer treatment for all. The theme of this year’s event is “I am and I will”, celebrating the stories of physicians, researchers, care givers and patients who have contributed to the advances of a cancer-free world. 

Advances and obstacles

In the past decade, the oncology research community has delivered incredible innovations that are changing the way we treat cancer patients. Our better understanding of cancer immunology that led to the development of new immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines and advances in cell and gene therapies and combined treatments has transformed the oncology landscape and saved millions of lives.

However, our continued inability to ensure all patients have access to these innovative treatments is a detriment to all of this progress. New cancer treatments come with skyrocketing price tags that are unsustainable for most public healthcare programs, private payers, and patients themselves.

This is not an easy problem to solve. These treatments require millions of dollars to develop and bring to market, and they often target very small patient populations making the economic model difficult to justify. But there are steps that can be taken to make these treatments less cost-prohibitive.

At Advanced Clinical, we work with emerging mid-market companies, supporting their efforts from early stage research through approval. We help them validate their hypotheses with solid data, define optimal protocols, and accelerate recruiting and research, all of which can help bring these drugs to market faster at a more reasonable price point and increase access for patients in developing countries.

Fifteen years ago most couldn’t have imagined the advances we are now achieving in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, or the ability to leverage our own immune system to fight such a variety of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. It is the culmination of global efforts by thousands of experts who together are working to create a cancer-free society.