Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

What is the value of oncology medicines?

Nature Biotechnology volume 28, pages 1160–1163 (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Coverage with evidence development (CED), rather than quality-adjusted-life-year (QALY) thresholds, offers the best way forward in balancing evidence-based policy for new oncology products with the needs of developers, payers, physicians and patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Yabroff, K. & Schrag, D. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 101, 1161–1163 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Institute of Medicine. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the Twenty-First Century (National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, 2001).

  3. Mulcahy, N. Time to consider cost in evaluating cancer drugs in the United States? <http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/705689> (2009).

  4. Fojo, T. & Grady, C. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 101, 1044–1048 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Anonymous. CDC Faststats (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Washington, DC, USA) <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/FASTATS/cancer.htm> (Accessed, November 1, 2009).

  6. Eckhouse, S., Lewison, G. & Sullivan, R. Mol. Oncol. 2, 20–32 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Eckhouse, S. & Sullivan, R. PLoS Med. 3, e267 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. DiMasi, J. & Grabowski, H. J. Clin. Oncol. 25, 209–216 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Reichert, J. & Wenger, J. Drug Discov. Today 13, 30–37 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Teutsch, S., Berger, M. & Weinstein, M. Health Aff. 24, 128–132 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Gafni, A. & Birch, S. Soc. Sci. Med. 62, 2091–2100 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Raftery, J. J. Eval. Clin. Pract. 5, 361–366 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Nord, E. Med. Decis. Making 15, 201–208 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Cohen, J. J. Med. Ethics 22, 267–272 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Tsuchiya, A. Health Econ. 9, 57–68 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Clement, F., Harris, A. & Jing Li, J. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 302, 1437–1443 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Mason, A. & Drummond, M. Eur. J. Cancer 45, 1188–1192 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Tangka, F.K. et al. Cancer 116, 3477–3484 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Jonsson, B. & Wilking, N. Ann. Oncol. 18 Suppl 3, iii2–iii7 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Verdecchia, A. et al. Eur. J. Public Health 18, 527–532 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Gatta, G. et al. Cancer 89, 893–900 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Verdecchia, A. et al. Lancet Oncol. 8, 784–796 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Schiller, J. Clin. Cancer Res. 11, 5030s–5032s (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. <http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/cancernews/2009-11-03-Lung-cancer-experts-call-for-improvements-in-NHS-care>

  25. Cohen, J., Cairnes, C., Paquette, C. & Faden, L. J. App. Health Econ. Health Pol. 5, 177–187 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Cohen, J. & Wilson, A. mAbs 1, 56–66 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Anonymous. NICE Guidance (National Health Service, London) <http://guidance.nice.org.uk/TA169> (Accessed November 1, 2009).

  28. Anonymous. Pfizer's sutent is recommended as first-line treatment for kidney cancer patients by British health agency. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/138010.php> (2009).

  29. Leveque, D. Lancet Oncol. 9, 1102–1107 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Cohen, J., Wilson, A. & Faden, L. Food Drug Law J. 64, 391–403 (2009).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Singer, P. Why we must ration health care. New York Times Magazine (July 19, 2009).

  32. Leighl, N., Tsao, W., Zawisza, D., Nematollahi, M. & Shepherd, F. Lung Cancer 51, 115–121 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Markman, M. J. Oncol. Pract. 4, 262 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Mohr, P. & Tunis, S. Pharmacoeconomics 28, 153–162 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Joshua Cohen is at Tufts University School of Medicine, Center for the Study of Drug Development, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,

    Joshua Cohen

  2. William Looney is at Pfizer, New York, New York, USA.,

    William Looney

Authors
  1. Joshua Cohen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. William Looney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cohen, J., Looney, W. What is the value of oncology medicines?. Nat Biotechnol 28, 1160–1163 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1110-1160

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1110-1160

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Cancer

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Cancer newsletter — what matters in cancer research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get what matters in cancer research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Cancer