Kick-starting innovation in Glioblastoma

In the latest edition of pharmaphorum's Deep Dive magazine, Context Matters’ Judith Rubinstein and Joan Gaffney focus on treatment choices for the brain cancer Glioblastoma, and ask whether risk-sharing and real-world evidence can provide traction.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), rare among cancers but the most common of brain tumours, is making headlines in the US due to the recent diagnosis of Republican Senator John McCain. This highly-aggressive cancer accounts for over 50% of brain tumours and has a median survival of 14.6 months with a two-year survival rate of 30%. Two-to-three people in every 100,000 in the US will face this bleak prognosis.

Outside traditional surgery and radiation therapy, only three pharmacotherapies have gained access to the market over the last 20+ years.

Some of the points covered in more detail in the feature include:

• Among the three drug therapies currently available, the proven benefits are not equal.
• There is potential to structure a risk-sharing agreement focusing on overall outcomes and overall costs, including cost of care – moving away from a misleading drug-to-drug comparison.
• Performance-based risk-sharing encourages drug companies to set their patients up for success and could improve overall strategies for treatment.

Read the full article here.

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Read the full Deep Dive: Market Access II magazine here.

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