Research group urges EMA to mandate pediatric cancer trials

Leading UK research body the Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) is calling on European regulators to close a “cancer loophole” that it says allows drugmakers to focus cancer research on larger, more lucrative adult populations, while neglecting younger patients.

The ICR raised the concerns as part of its response to a recent European Commission consultation over EU regulations affecting research into childhood diseases.

European regulations do not require drug companies to run clinical trials of new cancer drugs in children, even where there is good evidence that the drugs could be beneficial for that patient population.

The ICR says that, in the last five years, pharmaceutical companies were granted waivers from trialling cancer drugs in children for 62% of subsequently approved cancer treatments.