The Drug Discoverer
Professor Paul Workman was Chief Executive and President of The Institute of Cancer Research, London from 2014 to 2021. He is also Harrap Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics and has been instrumental in progressing more than 20 cancer drugs into clinical trials. He spent nearly two decades as Director of the Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery (formerly known as the Cancer Therapeutics Unit) at the ICR, which he built up to become the world's largest academic cancer drug discovery group. Professor Workman writes and talks extensively about challenges facing the cancer drug ecosystem.
Five ways we can harness the power of Big Data to transform cancer research and treatment
Professor Paul Workman, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, sets out what needs to happen for Big Data to deliver on its promise to revolutionise cancer research and care.
An exciting step for childhood cancer research and targeted treatment
Professor Paul Workman blogs about a new test for childhood cancer which hit the headlines yesterday — a multi-gene panel that should speed progress to targeted therapy.
Abiraterone’s approval is great news for men with prostate cancer – but why did it take so long?
Professor Paul Workman comments on the recent decision by NICE to approve abiraterone for men with advanced prostate cancer and offers thoughts on the drug approval process.
My reflections on The Death of Cancer
Professor Paul Workman introduces his special three-part essay, inspired by the memoir The Death of Cancer, and reflecting on five decades of progress in cancer research and treatment.
More, better new drugs: five ways the system must change
Professor Paul Workman outlines five solutions to the challenge of the broken drug system of drug discovery and development, which is failing to deliver enough innovative new cancer drugs to those who need them.
Why inequality in science isn’t just letting women down, but science too
Equality of opportunity is a key objective for the ICR and underpins our aim to be the employer of choice for those working in cancer research. Our latest blog from CEO Professor Paul Workman explains our commitment to ensure women have the same opportunities to progress in their scientific careers as men, and what we're doing to achieve it.
Putting off-patent drugs back to work
We’re supporting a campaign to ensure off-patent drugs get licensed for new indications –providing patients with access to a wider range of treatments
A step forward in our campaign to increase children’s access to new drugs
One policy issue that the ICR is involved in is discussing the regulatory barriers that our researchers face in running clinical trials in children – we have been pushing for changes to the way EU regulations are implemented.
Ensuring biomedical research is gold standard – through better use of chemical probes
Chemical tools are essential to probe the function of proteins and validate them as drug targets, but loose standards in their design and use are leading to potentially serious errors in biomedical research studies.
Why ‘basic research’ is critical for understanding and treating cancer
Cancer research often makes the biggest headlines when it begins to benefit patients – but in order to come up with innovative approaches to cancer treatment, we need first to make exciting scientific discoveries that illuminate our understanding of cancer
Disappointing week for first cancer drug targeted at an inherited genetic fault
This week we’ve had very disappointing news that the highly innovative cancer drug, olaparib, has been turned down by NICE. This decision is harder to bear as we found out last week that the drug will not be made available to patients via the Cancer Drugs Fund.
BBC’s Panorama is a tale of partnership, patients and personalised medicine
We have been working with the BBC’s Panorama team for nearly two years. Over that time they have met scores of scientists and clinicians here at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and our partner hospital, The Royal Marsden.
What we need to be successful in team science
Much of modern-day science is a 'team-game' – so what are we doing at The Institute of Cancer Research to recognise this?
Turning targets into effective treatments – my three questions to the World Oncology Forum
I welcomed the opportunity to give the opening presentation at the World Oncology Forum 2014, and to ask questions about what has to happen to translate the knowledge we now have about the genetics and biology of cancer into effective treatments.
Five ways that NICE could help bring innovative cancer medicines into the NHS
Earlier this year, NICE released a complex and far-reaching set of proposals for redrawing how it evaluates drugs for use on the NHS – I reflect on these reforms.
Hitting the right target – validating new approaches for innovative cancer drugs
Therapeutic innovation and clinical benefit require the discovery of truly novel drugs that act on previously unexploited molecular targets.
Being open about animal research
By signing the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research, we have reiterated our commitment to being transparent about when, how and why we use animals in our work.
NHS watchdog changes could endanger new cancer drugs
New guidance from NICE could deny cancer patients access to life-extending drugs and dramatically reduce the likelihood of achieving the cancer cures of the future.