Are current drug development programmes realising the full potential of new agents? Introduction to Sessions 7 and 8

Stephen Rd Johnston

doi:10.1186/bcr2439

Abstract

Are current drug development programmes realising the full potential of new agents? Introduction to Sessions 7 and 8

Highlights

The final two sessions of the meeting addressed the question of whether current drug development programmes for new agents in breast cancer are realising their full potential
The preclinical rationale was strong – namely that epidermal growth factor receptor expression was enhanced in models of acquired endocrine resistance and that gefitinib may be effective in tamoxifen-resistant disease, or when combined with endocrine therapy to delay development of acquired resistance
Appropriate target identification and selection have limited the successful development of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, and while activating mutations have proved crucial in understanding benefit in lung cancer, the same has never been demonstrated in breast cancer

Summary

Introduction

The final two sessions of the meeting addressed the question of whether current drug development programmes for new agents in breast cancer are realising their full potential. Dr Stephen Johnston gave an overview of the scenario and outlined how, in an era of molecular pathology and targeted therapies, the challenges facing both academic investigators and the pharmaceutical industry are significant.

Results

Conclusion