Incurable Cancer Patients Should Be Part of Research, FDA Says (1)

Drug companies shouldn’t leave patients with incurable cancers out of clinical trials even if they haven’t received a prior treatment, the FDA’s cancer chief said.

The Food and Drug Administration released draft guidance Thursday to encourage the pharmaceutical industry to include patients who have cancers with no potential for a cure or prolonged survival. Many clinical trials have required that participating patients previously received multiple therapies, Richard Pazdur, director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence, said in a statement.

“If there is no scientific rationale for excluding these patients, then clinical trial eligibility criteria should be broadened to include ...