US gets cancer drugs before EU

A new study suggests that new cancer treatments generally go on sale in the United States before they reach European markets.

Written byJef Akst

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, TOM VARCO

While many doctors, researchers, and investors believe that the European Medical Agency approves new cancer drugs before the US Food and Drug Administration, that assumption is simply not true, according to a study published last week in Health Affairs. In fact, all 23 new oncology meds approved in Europe and the United States between 2003 and 2010 hit the US market before they become available to European patients, the study revealed. Drugmakers tended to submit their treatments for approval to the FDA before the EMA, and the average review period in the United States took only about 6 months, compared to nearly a year in Europe.

"To patients battling cancer, with no treatment options, access to new medicines five-and-a-half months sooner is a very important ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
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Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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