13 October 2017 - As more cancer drugs are approved and prices continue to rise, questions have circulated on whether these drugs are extending patient survival or improving quality of life.

A research article published in the BMJ last week reviewed the approval of drugs by the EMA from 2009 to 2013 and noted that most drugs entered the market without evidence of survival benefits or quality of life.

But rather than refute the BMJ article’s findings in a response published Thursday, Francesco Pignatti, head of oncology, haematology and diagnostics at the EMA, wrote that the article’s findings "are not surprising to anyone familiar with cancer drug development."

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