Lechleiter Calls For Cancer Research Reforms

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) Chief Executive Officer John Lechleiter is calling for reforms on clinical cancer research and regulation. In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal to mark World Cancer Day, he promotes “more innovative clinical trial designs” and increasing cancer patient awareness. In the piece, Lechleiter says “arbitrary expectations” are being used too often to evaluate potential treatments. He cites France, which uses a five-point scale to compare new and existing medicines, and England, which evaluates medicines on “cost-benefit curves.”

Lechleiter says it is “almost impossible” to predict how effective treatments will be before they are widely used in medical practice. In addition, he says some evaluation systems dismiss small improvements. He says efforts in the battle against cancer come “not in giant leaps but incrementally.”

Lechleiter believes reforms may be the only way to keep the costs of cancer care manageable while increasing effectiveness.

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Source: Wall Street Journal