Improving access to cancer diagnosis and treatment remains a key focus across healthcare systems and the biopharmaceutical sector, which is already well-established in terms of scientific innovations to diagnose and treat cancer. Ensuring that patients worldwide have access to innovative treatments is a significant challenge, mainly due to differences in healthcare systems, availability of medicines, treatment costs and cancer diagnostics.
Companies in the global biopharmaceutical industry, as well as researchers from the field of biotechnology, research institutions, healthcare providers and national regulatory authorities, are pursuing different strategies to improve patient access to cancer diagnosis and treatment by developing new medicines, supporting clinical studies, setting up and restructuring distribution channels, and working with healthcare systems. Several areas are reviewed to examine the role of the biopharmaceutical industry in supporting access to specialized cancer therapies for patients worldwide.
1. Addressing Global Inequality in Cancer Care
For the reasons mentioned above, access to cancer care varies not only between countries in different regions but also between countries within the same region. Further, within countries, there are also significant disparities between urban and rural areas. High-income countries such as the USA, Germany and the UK generally have more resources for cancer care, whereas low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often face challenges in providing adequate cancer care resources. As the World Health Organization (WHO) noted, many countries do not include the following cancer care essentials in the list of services covered by public health funding for cancer prevention and control: prevention, screening, early diagnosis and treatment, and palliation.
As part of a larger healthcare system, the biopharmaceutical industry collaborates with researchers and healthcare institutions to support the availability of cancer therapies and related healthcare services, helping expand access to care and strengthen diagnostic capabilities worldwide.
2. Improving the Availability and Affordability of Cancer Medicines
There are many factors involved in making cancer medicines available, including the complex processes required to manufacture, store and obtain regulatory approval for cancer treatments. These are key considerations for medicine availability worldwide. Several strategies are being explored by biopharmaceutical companies to support the distribution of cancer medicines to patients in need. These include voluntary licensing of medicines to other manufacturers in developing countries, long-term partnerships with regional organizations, and alternative distribution pathways to ensure that medicines are stored and distributed correctly.
Voluntary licensing may help expand access to certain medicines by allowing other manufacturers to produce them under agreed terms. Generic and biosimilar medicines can also help improve cancer treatment access when appropriately approved by relevant regulatory authorities and made available in the market by manufacturers.
The Access to Oncology Medicines Coalition (AOMC), led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), is a partnership of public, private and civil society entities working together to address the complex barriers to access to necessary medicines, as well as their appropriate and safe use in low- and lower-middle-income countries, by strengthening regulatory systems and healthcare supply chains.
3. Strengthening Diagnostic Infrastructure and Early Detection
Early detection of cancer and timely and accurate diagnosis of the type of cancer, the stage at which it has developed, and potential treatment options all depend on the availability of adequate diagnostic facilities for cancer patients.
Biopharmaceutical companies work closely with research organizations and healthcare institutions worldwide to develop new molecular diagnostics, biomarkers and pathology tests that support cancer detection and provide information for treatment decisions. Liquid biopsy techniques are being investigated to help monitor disease-related biomarkers and assess residual disease in certain clinical settings.
Advanced diagnostics also require trained professionals, laboratory infrastructure and valid clinical data to become standard components of healthcare systems.
4. Expanding Access Through Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are conducted to evaluate investigational cancer treatments, including their safety and clinical outcomes, and may provide patients who meet eligibility criteria with an opportunity to participate in ongoing cancer research. The research conducted by biopharmaceutical companies to develop new cancer medicines includes funding and managing the clinical trials required to evaluate them.
Conducting clinical trials in different countries and among diverse populations can provide important information about how new cancer treatments perform in patients from different backgrounds. Barriers to patient participation in cancer treatment trials include distance to trial locations, financial resources, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the availability of clinical trial sites.
These barriers have also been identified by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which has highlighted that too few patients with cancer participate in cancer treatment trials and that many patient groups are not adequately represented in trials evaluating cancer treatments.
5. Supporting Access to Advanced Treatment Technologies
Newer cancer therapies, such as targeted cancer therapies, cancer immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), other cell therapies and cancer radiopharmaceuticals, are also being developed. These have different requirements for manufacturing, diagnosis and distribution to patients. These technologies are becoming increasingly complex and therefore have different requirements with respect to manufacturing, diagnostics and healthcare infrastructure.
As an example, CAR-T therapy requires the collection of a patient’s immune cells, which are then modified in a specialized laboratory and reinfused into the patient. The whole process of CAR-T therapy requires skilled personnel, appropriate diagnostic and treatment infrastructure, as well as coordination between treatment centers and production sites.
These cancer treatments require specialized infrastructure, for instance, for the storage of radioactive materials and the use of specific diagnostic equipment.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have identified an uneven distribution of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging technologies. The Rays of Hope initiative is one of the programs by the two organizations that provides technical assistance, training and resources for countries to strengthen cancer treatment infrastructure.
6. Building Research and Healthcare Partnerships
Biotechnology and large pharmaceutical companies, as well as research-oriented pharmaceutical organizations, work with hospitals, universities, research and diagnostic laboratories, governments and public health programs to support access to cancer therapies. Top oncology companies’ partner with hospitals, pharmaceutical research organizations, academic and diagnostic centers and government institutions to support clinical research and improve cancer therapy distribution to patients worldwide.
Such collaborations can be structured to promote technology transfer, provide training for healthcare professionals, and support the development of cancer research facilities and capabilities within local healthcare systems.
Research and healthcare partnerships play an important role for top oncology companies by supporting the development and evaluation of new treatment approaches, clinical trials, and translational research programs. Public-private partnerships can also facilitate technology transfer, workforce development, and infrastructure expansion in regions where specialized oncology services and diagnostic capabilities may be limited.
7. Strengthening Regulatory Processes and Medicine Supply Chains
Much of the work done by companies and organizations across the oncology sector to make advanced cancer treatments available to patients occurs after the therapies have been developed. Different countries have different procedures for the evaluation and approval of medicines which, depending on their speed and requirements, can significantly influence the timing of market entry for advanced cancer medicines.
Companies work with relevant regulatory bodies to present the necessary clinical, manufacturing and safety-related information to support the marketing authorization of medicines. For other types of cancer medicines, such as those that are required to be stored at refrigerated temperatures, supply chain management becomes a critical function. It needs to be monitored to ensure that oncology medicines are stored appropriately, transported in a controlled manner and maintained at adequate inventory levels at healthcare institutions.
The Future of Access to Advanced Cancer Therapies
Access to cancer treatments requires more than the discovery of new treatments. In addition to these discoveries, there must be funding for diagnostic techniques, clinical trials, healthcare facilities, healthcare providers and distribution systems. Biopharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, major hospitals, top oncology companies, diagnostic and research laboratories and government organizations are engaged in efforts to expand access to cancer therapies.
The introduction of new therapeutic technologies in oncology brings additional considerations regarding affordability, availability and geographical inequalities. Continued collaboration between scientific and healthcare-related stakeholders, along with further development of healthcare systems, is required to translate cancer research into diagnostic and treatment services that are accessible to patients worldwide.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide a general overview of developments in oncology research and development. It is not intended to promote or recommend any specific treatment, product, or company. Information regarding investigational therapies reflects ongoing research and should not be interpreted as evidence of safety, efficacy, or regulatory approval. Readers are encouraged to consult healthcare professionals for the most current information.