By Branwen Morgan

“Off the top of my head, I really can’t think of a single cancer drug that was developed specifically for pediatric use,” says Peter Houghton, director of the Center for Childhood Cancer at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “All have had their origin in adult clinical trials…wait, I lie: there is an antibody that was developed specifically for kids with neuroblastoma.” Houghton is referring to ch14.18, an experimental drug in the process of seeking approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Houghton’s remarks highlight a systemic problem with how cancer drugs are developed for children. Of the approximately 120 approved cancer therapies, roughly 30 are used in children, and only half of those have pediatric information included on their labels. Moreover, new cancer therapies are usually considered for use in children only several years after the results of successful adult clinical cancer trials have been published. “This means there’s a delay of two to seven years before we know if children could benefit from a new drug,” Houghton explains. “That’s too long.”

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Image: James Gommel