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• Posted October 1, 2024

Drug Industry Taking Bigger Role in Clinical Cancer Trials

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."

More information

The Cancer Research Institute has more information for patients about participating in clinical trials.

SOURCE: Fred Hutch Cancer Center, news release, Sept. 27, 2024