The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI) joined with Scientific American Worldview to recognize Worldview’s Top Medical Innovators, four scientists whose work has transformed the diagnosis and treatment of blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
Is it possible to live in A World Free From Cancer by 2050? New medicines have already yielded an extra 43 million life-years for cancer patients. With targeted therapy, we have the knowledge. And now, with a real commitment to change, we have clear initiatives to make it a reality.
CMPI says a balanced view is needed so that medical innovation continues, new therapies can be developed, and long term healthcare costs can actually decrease.
Under the Affordable Care Act, many innovative cancer therapies are unavailable or even denied to the patients who need them most. While many Americans will receive better health coverage at a lower cost, in states like Oregon, most cancer patients will wind up paying thousands of dollars each month for less coverage.
As featured in a recent article in New York Magazine, some doctors are refusing to use new, life-extending cancer therapies due to high launch prices. When all of the long term numbers are considered, from major increases in cancer survivors and extended life years to spending reductions on hospitals and doctors, you can see how this view is short sighted.
Cancer therapies have made a great deal of progress in recent years, but access to this progress is at risk with health care reform. Cancer patients, doctors, and drugs are all being negatively impacted in terms of facilitating the most effective treatments to those who need it most.
While the cost of new drug development can reportedly range from $1 billion to as high as $13 billion, ideas are being proposed to significantly cut these costs. Hear the perspective of former Eli Lilly Senior VP of Research, Steve Paul, regarding drug pipeline gaps and a more streamlined, affordable approach to the cycle time of the process.
With the new “breakthrough therapy” designation to accelerate approvals for promising drugs, the FDA is moving in the right direction. But the FDA doesn’t go far enough or fast enough to make a substantial difference for current cancer patients. To make a significant impact, isn’t it time to overhaul the entire evaluation and approval system?
What can we learn from current accountable care organizations that attempt to improve health outcomes and reduce costs? What are the plusses and minuses of these ventures between hospitals and doctors? Learn how accountable cancer care could help shift the focus from short-term gains to long-term patient health.
Legal roadblocks often hinder innovative cancer medicine. In the UK Lord Saatchi is calling for new laws to enable doctors to carry out alternative treatments without fear of being sued. In support of his bill, we look at aspects of medical innovation. Consider how years can be added to cancer patients’ lives.
What are our expectations around gene sequencing? Are we being realistic? How does the process compare to online dating, and what’s the best way to learn more about it? In organizing information on disease progression that leads to better outcomes, should we approach sequencing and access to data differently?
The earlier we know who is likely to be an Alzheimer’s candidate, the more we all benefit. Unfortunately, Medicare recently said it would not pay for an early detection test without enrollment in a clinical trial. It’s time to look beyond the antiquated, one-size-fits-all clinical approach.
When the cost of new cancer medicine is discussed outside of the framework of overall value, an important part of the equation is completely missed. There is a direct correlation to the increase in value when targeted treatments are delivered to those who will benefit most. See the thinking regarding a recent editorial.
How can we transform from the old clinical trial world to today’s digital world, where we would have electronic surveillance of every patient who is admitted and enrolled in a trial? Dr. Eric Topol discusses how, with the spirit of innovation, a new way of both conditional and final drug approval is possible.
Medical science is accelerating rapidly, fueled by technologies that provide previously unimagined insights into molecular biology. This remarkable innovation has the potential to transform cancer from a leading cause of death to a curable or at least manageable disease.
New initiative: a partnership of patients, researchers, advocacy groups and innovators led by the Center for Medicine in The Public Interest (CMPI) is advocating for advances in patient-centered innovation and transformational change in the development and use of new cancer treatments.
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