if people have access to them. A team co-led by Penn State researchers identified cancer drugs launched between 1990 and 2022 and found that counties with higher gross national income per capita typically had more launches and shorter launch delays.
They published their findings in BMJ Global Health.
"While previous studies have found variations in availability and timeliness of availability of anticancer drugs using data from selected countries and for a small sample of drugs, this study is the first to examine those factors comprehensively, looking at all commercially developed cancer drugs between 1990 and 2022 in all countries of the world," said co-corresponding author Qiushi Chen, assistant professor in the Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Penn State.
The team applied engineering data analytics tools to extract key measures for research from a large commercial database with highly complex structures and collaborated with health service researchers on statistical analysis. Specifically, they examined drug launches over 32 years around the globe and found significant disparities in the availability and timeliness of availability of new cancer drugs across countries.
During the study period, 568 new cancer drugs were made available internationally, with 4,184 associated launches or regulatory approvals in 111 countries. By the end of 2022, 35% of the 568 drugs had been launched in only one country; 22% had been launched in two to five countries; and 43% in more than five.
The number of new cancer drugs launched ranged from zero to 345 per country. Countries with the highest number of launches were: the United States, with 345 cancer drug launches; Japan, with 224 launches; Canada, with 221; Australia, with 204; the United Kingdom, with 191; and China, with 169. These countries also had the highest number of first global launches or launches within 12 months of the first global launch. Regions with the fewest launches were Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
The researchers also found that differences in the number of cancer drugs launched between wealthy and poor nations widened over time, and that many countries experienced long delays in access after a global launch.
"Our findings highlight the need for public policy that addresses these issues of inequality in access to cancer drugs. Our hope is that our analysis will help spur changes in health policy and healthcare industry, particularly to help improve equitable access to these life-saving medicines and reduce disparities in patients' health outcomes around the globe."
Other collaborators include co-corresponding author Meng Li, Tufts Medical Center, and DukHee Ka, doctoral student in the Penn State Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.
