Crossing the valley of death with advanced cancer therapy

Ever wonder why so few cancer research “breakthroughs” reported by the media lead to new treatments? Why are new cancer drugs so expensive? Why are basic researchers seen as doing heroic work for humanity, while the pharmaceutical industry is viewed as greedy and lacking morals? Why are drugs so tightly regulated, while “natural products” are not controlled at all, even though safety and efficacy are known only for the former? Are scientific discoveries being smothered to death by over-regulation, at the expense of patients in need of new therapies? Experimental therapies can strike controversy, but they are becoming increasingly common as the gap between routine treatments and clinical trials becomes wider. Progress in science has identified an increasing number of interventions that might be useful for patients suffering from currently incurable cancer, neurological and metabolic diseases or infections such as Ebola. In his book Dr Hemminki explains the