The Changing Dynamics of Cancer Drug Development

01 Jan 2006

The growing number and size of oncology players has made the field far more competitive, eroding--or at least, shifting--some of the advantages that continue to attract smaller firms to the field.

Oncology is probably the most popular therapeutic area for drug development. About a third of all drug candidates in development are for oncology indications. There are over 150 candidates in Phase III trials, including both new compounds and marketed products being developed for new indications.

The rationale is simple. The medical need is high. Compared to primary care drugs, oncology medicines look cheap to develop...