About 400 cancer drugs from 178 companies are in clinical trials, according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association. That is twice the number of drugs in trials for illnesses like Alzheimer's disease and depression and nearly three times as many as for heart attack and stroke.For patients, the flood of drugs is generally good news because it means a better chance of finding one, or a combination, that will work for them. "From the standpoint of the patients there is never too many," said Dr. Robert J. Motzer, a kidney cancer specialist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
Increased competition could also mean that drug companies will put more effort into reducing side effects. In the past, it was considered acceptable for drugs to have noxious side effects because cancer was a fatal disease.
BIO
I am Adam Wishart, a writer and documentary-maker.
My documentary The Price of Life will be broadcast on June 17th on BBC2 at 9pm.
MONKEYS, RATS and ME won the 2007 Grierson Award for the Best Science Documentary .I wrote ONE IN THREE : a son's journey into the history and science of cancer. It was nominated for the Royal Society Book Prize. Read the Book's Introduction
I started it because my dad fell ill with cancer, and I wanted a book which answered some of my basic questions: how did he get it, would he be healed and why was there no cure?
"An amazing book" says Professor Karol Sikora. "Riveting" says David Lodge
Before that I wrote LEAVING REALITY BEHIND.
"An important story and as absorbing as a well crafted thriller." The Financial Times Other reviews.
And before that I made documentaries for the BBC. One of which won an RTS Award.
To contact me please email me at adam (at) adamwishart.info
