Advances in cancer research have led to an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the development of cancer and how the immune system responds to cancer. This influx of research has led to an increasing number and variety of therapies in the drug development pipeline, including targeted therapies and associated biomarker tests that can select which patients are most likely to respond, and immunotherapies that harness the body's immune system to destroy cancer cells. Compared with standard chemotherapies, these new cancer therapies may demonstrate evidence of benefit and clearer distinctions between efficacy and toxicity at an earlier stage of development. However, there is a concern that the traditional processes for cancer drug development, evaluation, and regulatory approval could impede or delay the use of these promising cancer treatments in clinical practice. This has led to a number of effortsâ€"by patient advocates, the pharmaceutical industry, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)â€"to accelerate the review of promising new cancer therapies, especially for cancers that currently lack effective treatments. However, generating the necessary data to confirm safety and efficacy during expedited drug development programs can present a unique set of challenges and opportunities. To explore this new landscape in cancer drug development, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine developed a workshop held in December 2016. This workshop convened cancer researchers, patient advocates, and representatives from industry, academia, and government to discuss challenges with traditional approaches to drug development, opportunities to improve the efficiency of drug development, and strategies to enhance the information available about a cancer therapy throughout its life cycle in order to improve its use in clinical practice. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

There exists a profound conflict at the heart of oncology drug development. The efficiency of the drug development process is falling, leading to higher costs per approved drug, at the same time personalised medicine is limiting the target market of each new medicine. Even as the global economic burden of cancer increases, the current paradigm in drug development is unsustainable. In this book, we discuss the development of techniques in machine learning for improving the efficiency of oncology drug development and delivering cost-effective precision treatment. We consider how to structure data for drug repurposing and target identification, how to improve clinical trials and how patients may view artificial intelligence.

Novel Designs of Early Phase Trials for Cancer Therapeutics provides a comprehensive review by leaders in the field of the process of drug development, the integration of molecular profiling, the changes in early phase trial designs, and endpoints to optimally develop a new generation of cancer therapeutics. The book discusses topics such as statistical perspectives on cohort expansions, the role and application of molecular profiling and how to integrate biomarkers in early phase trials. Additionally, it discusses how to incorporate patient reported outcomes in phase one trials. This book is a valuable resource for medical oncologists, basic and translational biomedical scientists, and trainees in oncology and pharmacology who are interested in learning how to improve their research by using early phase trials. Brings a comprehensive review and recommendations for new clinical trial designs for modern cancer therapeutics Provides the reader with a better understanding on how to design and implement early phase oncology trials Presents a better and updated understanding of the process of developing new treatments for cancer, the exciting scientific advances and how they are informing drug development

"Oncology is a rapidly developing area in medical science. A significant investment in terms of costs, resources and time is required for oncology drug development. Understanding of the challenges at all stages is vital for a successful drug launching. The purpose of this book is to provide an overview and practical solutions to some of these challenges which are commonly observed during setting up, conducting and reporting of oncology studies. This book will cover a wide variety of topics related to common challenges in cancer clinical trials across different stages of drug development."--Provided by publisher.

Statistical Approaches in Oncology Clinical Development : Current Paradigm and Methodological Advancement presents an overview of statistical considerations in oncology clinical trials, both early and late phase of development. It illustrates how novel statistical methods can enrich the design and analysis of modern oncology trials. The authors include many relevant real life examples from the pharmaceutical industry and academia based on their first-hand experience. Along with relevant references, the book highlights current regulatory views. The book covers all aspects of cancer clinical trial starting from early phase development. The early part of the book covers novel phase I dose escalation design, exposure response analysis, and innovative phase II design. This includes early development strategy for cancer immunotherapy trials. The contributors also emphasized the role of biomarker and modern era of precision medicine. The second part focuses on the late stage development. This includes the application of adaptive design, safety analysis, and quality of life (QoL) data analysis. The final part discusses current regulatory perspective and challenges. Features: Covers a wide spectrum of topics related to real-life statistical challenges in oncology clinical trials. Provides a comprehensive overview of novel statistical methods to improve trial design and statistical analysis. Detailed case studies illustrate the real life applications. Satrajit Roychoudhury is a Senior Director and a member of the Statistical Research and Innovation group in Pfizer Inc. Prior to joining; he was a member of Statistical Methodology and consulting group in Novartis. He has 11 years of extensive experience in working with different phases of clinical trial. His area of research includes early phase oncology trials, survival analysis, model informed drug development, and use of Bayesian methods in clinical trials. He is industry co-chair for the ASA Biopharmaceutical Section Regulatory-Industry Workshop and has provided statistical training in major conferences including the Joint Statistical Meetings, ASA Biopharmaceutical Section Regulatory-Industry Workshop, and ICSA Applied Statistics Symposium. Soumi Lahiri has 12 years of extensive experience in working different therapeutic areas. She is the former Director of Biostatistics in Clinical Oncology, GlaxoSmithKline. She has also worked in the oncology division of Novartis Pharmaceutical Company for two years. She is an active member of the ASA Biopharmaceutical section and former chair of the membership committee.

Companion and Complementary Diagnostics: From Biomarker Discovery to Clinical Implementation provides readers with in-depth insights into the individual steps in the development of companion diagnostic assays, from the early biomarker discovery phase straight through to final regulatory approval. Further, the clinical implementation of companion diagnostic testing in the clinic is also discussed. As the development of predictive or selective biomarker assays linked to specific drugs is substantially increasing, this book offers comprehensive information on this quickly-evolving area of biomedicine. It is an essential resource for those in academic institutions, hospitals and pharma, and biotech and diagnostic commercial companies. - Covers all aspects, from biomarker discovery, to development and regulatory approval - Explains the "how to" aspects of companion diagnostics - Incorporates information on the entire process, allowing for easier and deeper understanding of the topic

The reader will discover a comprehensive and multifaceted overview of the history of the development of anticancer drugs deeply influenced by the cell concept of cancer and future directions for the development of new anticancer drugs. First, this book documents the scientific progress in biological science over the last 70 years and the influence this progress had in cancer research. Summaries and charts of important discoveries complete this overview. Furthermore, this book outlines the process of anticancer drug development with a focus on the characteristic drug groups of each era, related to advancements of chemistry and biological sciences. This book also provides brief mechanism of action of drugs, illustrated by comprehensive timelines and conceptual cartoons. This book finally sums up the limitations of the current anticancer drug development and seeks new directions for anticancer drug discovery, considering under the systemic view of cancer.

The growing interest in using combination drugs to treat various complex diseases has spawned the development of many novel statistical methodologies. The theoretical development, coupled with advances in statistical computing, makes it possible to apply these emerging statistical methods in in vitro and in vivo drug combination assessments. Howeve

Most medicines have never been adequately tested for safety and efficacy in pediatric populations and preterm, infants and children are particularly vulnerable to adverse drug reactions. Pediatric Drug Development: Concepts and Applications, Second Edition, addresses the unique challenges in conducting effective drug research and development in pediatric populations. This new edition covers the legal and ethical issues of consent and assent, the additional legal and safety protections for children, and the appropriate methods of surveillance and assessment for children of varying ages and maturity, particularly for patient reported outcomes. It includes new developments in biomarkers and surrogate endpoints, developmental pharmacology and other novel aspects of global pediatric drug development. It also encompasses the new regulatory initiatives across EU, US and ROW designed to encourage improved access to safe and effective medicines for children globally. From an international team of expert contributors Pediatric Drug Development: Concepts and Applications is the practical guide to all aspects of the research and development of safe and effective medicines for children.