Pediatric Cancer Drug Progress Lags Due to Limited Market, Expert Says
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A pediatric oncologist is raising concerns about the lack of pharmaceutical investment in developing cancer drugs specifically for children. Cornelis van Tilburg stated in a recent interview wiht the Catholic news agency KNA that the smaller patient population of pediatric cancer cases makes it less financially attractive for pharmaceutical companies to prioritize research and development in this area. Though, new EU regulations aim to address this gap by requiring cancer drugs to be tested for childhood cancers.
The Challenge of Pediatric Cancer Drug Development
The core issue, as highlighted by van Tilburg, is economic. Fewer children are diagnosed with cancer compared to adults, reducing the potential profit for pharmaceutical companies.This leads to a decreased incentive to invest in the costly and time-consuming process of developing and testing drugs tailored for children. https://www.kna.de/ (Source for original statement – KNA Catholic News Agency)
This isn’t simply a matter of using adult dosages for children.Children’s bodies metabolize drugs differently than adults, and they are more vulnerable to long-term side effects.Thus, drugs need to be specifically formulated and tested for pediatric use.
New EU Regulations Aim to Improve Testing
Fortunately, a change is underway.The European medicines Agency (EMA) is implementing new regulations that will require all new cancer drugs to be tested for their efficacy and safety in treating childhood cancers. This regulation,as emphasized by van Tilburg,is a crucial step towards ensuring children have access to appropriate and effective cancer treatments. https://www.ema.europa.eu/ (European Medicines Agency official website)
This change will likely increase the availability of data on how existing and new cancer drugs affect children, potentially leading to more informed treatment decisions and the repurposing of existing drugs for pediatric use.
Common childhood Cancers and Treatment Options
According to van Tilburg, leukemia is the most prevalent form of cancer in children, followed by brain tumors. While standard treatments like radiation and chemotherapy are used,there’s a limited number of approved therapies with fewer side effects specifically designed for children. This highlights the urgent need for more research into targeted therapies and less toxic treatment options.
The American Cancer Society provides detailed information on childhood cancers, including types, diagnosis, staging, treatment, and follow-up care: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/childhood-cancers.html
Broadcast Date and Context
This information was initially reported on December 14th, 2025, during a broadcast on deutschlandfunk, a German public radio station. https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/ (Deutschlandfunk official website)
Looking Ahead: The new EU regulations represent a critically important step forward in addressing the disparity in cancer drug development for children. Continued advocacy, increased funding for pediatric cancer research, and collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, regulatory agencies, and medical professionals will be essential to ensure that children with cancer receive the best possible care and have access to innovative, life-saving treatments.