USA – Study: Few FDA-approved targeted cancer drugs meet ESMO benefit benchmarks

Fewer than one-third of molecularly targeted cancer drugs recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meet established European benchmarks for clinical benefits, according to a study published April 4 in JAMA Oncology.

For the study, researchers examined drugs approved by the FDA between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2022, and found 50 molecularly-targeted drugs for solid tumors with a combined 84 new and supplemental labeled targeted indications.

One key finding in the study was that of the total indications, only 24 (29%) were deemed to reflect substantial clinical benefit, based on pivotal trial data and their rating on the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Score (ESMO-MCBS)…