Why are there so few trials for immune therapy and vaccines for all cancers? It seems like a more logical way to stop the progression or start of the disease.
Despite the appeal of immunotherapy, there just hadn't been much evidence of them being effective in the vast majority of solid tumors until around early 2012. However, the number of clinical trials for immunotherapy in many cancers have mushroomed incredibly since the first few trials showed positive results in several solid tumor types in 2012. Judging by the number of new agents being developed and the only increasing interest in them among patients and clinician investigators alike, it's a safe bet that they will continue to become more and more readily available over the next few years.
I agree with Dr West, historically they have not been as successful as we had liked. Also, vaccines and other immune therapies tend to be more complicated to design and manufacture, and more expensive. Often the designs involved harvesting tumor cells or immune cells and giving them back again, which could be rather cumbersome.
Also, traditionally drug companies have often been motivated to gain drug approval over the lowest feasible amount of time and resources. They generally would go for a 50% chance of a drug that extends survival by 2 weeks, instead of a 5% chance of a drug that extends survival by 2 years. It is easier to persuade a board of directors to invest in a product that is a more certain approval, than go for the long odds. The great things about the current climate, is that folks are talking about trying for long odds and durable remissions more and more now. As Dr West mentioned, it is one of the big highlights from 2012-2013.
Reply # - January 1, 2014, 12:17 AM
Reply To: Immunotherapy / Vaccines
Despite the appeal of immunotherapy, there just hadn't been much evidence of them being effective in the vast majority of solid tumors until around early 2012. However, the number of clinical trials for immunotherapy in many cancers have mushroomed incredibly since the first few trials showed positive results in several solid tumor types in 2012. Judging by the number of new agents being developed and the only increasing interest in them among patients and clinician investigators alike, it's a safe bet that they will continue to become more and more readily available over the next few years.
-Dr. West
Reply # - January 4, 2014, 06:27 AM
Reply To: Immunotherapy / Vaccines
I agree with Dr West, historically they have not been as successful as we had liked. Also, vaccines and other immune therapies tend to be more complicated to design and manufacture, and more expensive. Often the designs involved harvesting tumor cells or immune cells and giving them back again, which could be rather cumbersome.
Also, traditionally drug companies have often been motivated to gain drug approval over the lowest feasible amount of time and resources. They generally would go for a 50% chance of a drug that extends survival by 2 weeks, instead of a 5% chance of a drug that extends survival by 2 years. It is easier to persuade a board of directors to invest in a product that is a more certain approval, than go for the long odds. The great things about the current climate, is that folks are talking about trying for long odds and durable remissions more and more now. As Dr West mentioned, it is one of the big highlights from 2012-2013.