Barriers in access to oncology drugs - a global crisis

In the past decade, oncologists worldwide have seen unprecedented advances in drug development and approvals but have also become increasingly cognizant of the rising costs of and increasing inequities in access to these therapies. These trends have resulted in the current problematic situation in which dramatic disparities in outcomes exist among patients with cancer worldwide owing, in part, to the lack of access to drugs that provide clinically meaningful benefits. In this Viewpoint, we have asked six oncologists working in different countries to describe how they perceive this issue in their region and propose potential solutions.

Automated summary

In the past decade, oncologists have witnessed unprecedented advances in drug development and approvals, but also acknowledge the rising costs and inequities in access to these therapies. This has resulted in significant disparities in treatment outcomes for cancer patients worldwide, partially due to the lack of access to drugs with clinically meaningful benefits. In this viewpoint, six oncologists from different countries describe how they perceive this issue in their region and propose potential solutions.