Widening Disparities in Global Cancer Drug Launches

A global analysis shows significant disparities in the launch of new cancer drugs among different income countries, with high-income regions seeing more launches than low- and middle-income regions. This inequity could contribute to poor cancer outcomes in lower-income countries as worldwide cancer cases rise.

Significant disparities in the launch of new cancer drugs have been highlighted in a recent global analysis, revealing a stark contrast based on income levels. High-income countries saw an increase from 0.5 to over eight drugs launched annually from the 1990s to 2022. In contrast, upper-middle-income countries only grew from 0.1 to 1.5 launches per year.

Published in the prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ) Global Health, the study underscores serious inequities in availability and timeliness of these essential medicines worldwide. The mortality-to-incidence ratio, a critical measure of cancer outcome disparities, was significantly higher in lower-income nations.

Researchers warn of worsening disparities, with a projected global surge in cancer cases disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. The study, analyzing data from 1990 to 2022, involved 568 new anti-cancer drugs across 111 countries, with findings indicating a majority of launches in high-income regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia.

(With inputs from agencies.)