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Improving access to innovative cancer drugs

It is essential that we can harness advances in science to bring innovative drugs to people with cancer.

Abiraterone tablets

Drug access report - From Patent to Patient

Our 2018 drug access report, From Patent to Patient, highlights the progress that is being made with discovering exciting new cancer medicines. But it also draws attention to key challenges that will need to be overcome to ensure more patients can benefit from these advances.

Download the Drug access report

Cancer drug manifesto

The following year we released a Cancer drug manifesto, calling for action to speed up access to innovative cancer drugs and propose a number of ways we can ensure the most innovative new cancer drugs are available as quickly as possible to all the patients who would benefit from them. 

Read the Cancer drug manifesto

Consensus statements on cancer drug pricing and access

And in 2020, we brought the sector together to create a nine point plan looking at practical recommendations to improve access to new cancer treatments. These consensus statements were developed by the ICR with 15 leading academic institutions, charities, stakeholder groups and pharmaceutical companies. 

Read the Consensus statements

News: Vary drug prices for different conditions, say health experts

The NHS could improve patients’ access to new cancer treatments by paying different prices for drugs depending on the disease they are used to treat, concludes a group of experts from across academia and industry.

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News: Most innovative cancer drugs facing delays in reaching patients

Despite increasing numbers of cancer drugs being licensed, an analysis has found that highly innovative drugs took longer to reach NHS patients than more conventional treatments.

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Template: Contact your MP via email and social media

Contacting your MP about the issues highlighted in the Patent to Patient – analysing access to innovative cancer drugs report, is a fantastic way to get these issues in front of the people with power, so we can make change happen to improve outcomes for people living with cancer.

Download the template

News: ICR manifesto calls for action on cancer drug access as survey shows patient delays

Our 10-point manifesto is calling for action to speed up access to innovative cancer drugs as an accompanying survey of 1,000 cancer patients finds many face barriers in receiving the latest treatments.

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Blog: Our manifesto to overcome cancer by supercharging innovation in drug discovery and development

Professor Paul Workman argues that action is needed to accelerate patients’ access to today’s innovative treatments – and incentivise creation of tomorrow’s

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News: New cancer drugs taking longer to reach NHS patients

NHS patients are waiting longer for new cancer drugs because of delays in taking them through clinical trials and getting them approved for use, a major new analysis of regulatory data reveals.

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Blog: Why regulators must move with the science if we’re to get innovative new treatments to patients more quickly

Our CEO, Professor Paul Workman, discusses the findings of the ICR's new drug access report, which asks how we can best harness advances in science to bring innovative drugs to patients.

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Feature: Making it count – the real life stories of people benefiting from innovative new cancer treatments

We are in an exciting time in cancer research, with many researchers believing we are at the tipping point in cancer treatment, and moving towards truly personalised treatment plans for patients.

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Video: Are new cancer drugs reaching cancer patients fast enough?

Dr Olivia Rossanese talks about our new drug access report – From Patent to Patient – and whether or not new cancer drugs are reaching cancer patients fast enough.

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Video: How palbociclib helps Christine live her life with secondary breast cancer

We spoke to Christine, who has secondary breast cancer, about her experience with the innovative new drug palbociclib. The ICR and The Royal Marsden ran clinical trials of palbociclib, which is now available on the NHS.

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Video: Rob's prostate cancer story and successful treatment with abiraterone

We met Rob Lester who told us about his experience of being treated for advanced prostate cancer with abiraterone - a drug discovered by the ICR.

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Video: Anne talks about ovarian cancer and drug olaparib

We spoke to Anne and heard about her ovarian cancer story and experiences with cancer drug olaparib.

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Video: Melanoma patient Debbie tells us how dabrafenib has given her hope

Debbie Keynes spoke to us about her experience of being diagnosed with melanoma and subsequent treatment with cancer drug dabrafenib.

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