Posted by Michael Wonder on 01 Mar 2017
Public-private partnership speeds investigator access to cancer drugs
28 February 2017 - A new collaboration between pharmaceutical and biotech companies and the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health aims to get cancer drugs into the hands of researchers—and patients—faster.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Formulary will allow NCI-Designated Cancer Center investigators to move quickly through the process to access drugs for preclinical studies and clinical trials.
The program launched in January with a suite of 15 approved and investigational drugs from 6 pharmaceutical companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, and Genentech. Under the arrangement, participating companies must approve or reject investigator proposals within 60 days—a process that can typically take up to 18 months.
