Biopharm- very interesting article. I especially like the part below. I like the fact that we are using MOS to determine success/failure in our trials.
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Yet they do increase the odds. According to Recap's data, 37 percent of partnered biotech drugs in non-cancer indications get from Phase I to approval, compared to 11 percent of unpartnered non-cancer drugs. Cancer is harder all around, with just 19 percent of partnered biotech drugs and 4 percent of unpartnered drugs making it.
Natanson said the problem in cancer is that most Phase II trials use tumor shrinkage endpoints that don't always translate into a survival advantage in Phase III. "That endpoint switch is a risk factor," she said, noting that non-cancer indications in general tend to have better Phase II endpoints.
Another scary statistic from the Recap analysis: The late-stage failure rate – i.e. failure in Phase III or beyond – was 69 percent for unpartnered cancer drugs versus 38 percent for those that were partnered. "Late-stage failure is the worse type of failure," Natanson said, because it is so expensive.