Healthcare’s COVID-19 Pivot Opens Up Opportunities For Intensified Cancer Cure Pursuits

Emboldened by improvements in telehealth and remote care technologies spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, top companies in both the biopharma and oncology spaces are banding together to advocate for permanent and effective changes in cancer treatment and delivery. This international-scale plea comes from the Bloomberg New Economy International Cancer Coalition, which includes industry heavy hitters such as the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence, Bayer, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Johns Hopkins, and Novartis. The group was formed in Spring 2021 with the goals of widening clinical trial access for patients and supporting regulations for hastening cancer cures and prevention in the post-pandemic landscape.

According to the coalition, the rise of decentralized clinical trials amid the pandemic presents new vectors for achieving its goals. Priorities for bettering patient-focused clinical trials include honing enrollment, treatment, monitoring, and regulatory harmonization, along with mitigating participation barriers while doubling down on telemedicine and remote monitoring as useful means of widening access.

The coalition referenced three initiatives that currently embody higher standards for regulatory harmonization as well as international collaboration. China’s National Medical Products Administration, the FDA-led Project Orbis, and the European Union Clinical Trials Regulation were all cited for leveraging collaborative opportunities in spearheading oncology product approval.