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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A new JAMA Oncology study of nearly 12,000 cancer trials found that industry-sponsored research overwhelmingly focuses on single-agent drugs, while federally funded trials tackle bigger-picture questions like supportive care, rare cancers, and treatment de-escalation. With pharma now enrolling over 90% of adult trial participants, researchers warn that critical non-drug questions are being "squeezed out." The clinical trials ecosystem, they say, is "out of whack."
The balance of power in US cancer clinical trials has shifted dramatically — and a new study says it's creating blind spots in cancer research. An analysis of nearly 12,000 trials conducted between 2008 and 2024, published in JAMA Oncology, found that industry-sponsored studies account for 82% of all trials and over 90% of adult patient enrollments, with a heavy focus on single-agent drug testing aimed at regulatory approval.
Meanwhile, federally funded trials — now a shrinking minority — are doing the heavier lifting on questions that don't generate profit: multimodal therapies, supportive care, treatment de-escalation, prevention, and research into rare and pediatric cancers. Researchers describe the two approaches as "complementary," but warn that the imbalance is leaving important questions unanswered as federal funding fails to keep pace with inflation.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: When industry dominates clinical trial enrollment, research priorities skew toward profitable drug approvals — leaving gaps in knowledge about how to optimize, de-escalate, or support cancer care more broadly. Without a healthier funding ecosystem, patients and clinicians may face a future with fewer answers to the questions that matter most in everyday cancer care.
