Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37636030›Full record

ArticleCancer management and research2023

Challenges and Strategies for Improving Access to Cancer Drugs in Malaysia: Summary of Opinions Expressed at the 2nd MACR International Scientific Conference 2022.

Shing Cheng Tan, Wen Tsin Poh, Audrey Chee Hui Yong, Eng Wee Chua, Der Jiun Ooi, Rozi Mahmud, Muthukkumaran Thiagarajan, Johnson Stanslas

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Article in Cancer management and research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Shing Cheng TanUKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0002-0328-0023
Wen Tsin PohPharmacotherapeutic Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Audrey Chee Hui YongFaculty of Pharmacy, MAHSA University, Jenjarom, Selangor, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0001-7661-9772
Eng Wee ChuaDrug and Herbal Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Der Jiun OoiDepartment of Oral Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, MAHSA University, Jenjarom, Selangor, Malaysia.
Rozi MahmudDepartment of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Muthukkumaran ThiagarajanDepartment of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Johnson StanslasPharmacotherapeutic Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0002-6938-954X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Considerable progress has been made in cancer drug development in recent decades. However, for people in low- and middle-income countries, including Malaysia, many of these drugs are not readily available. During the 2nd Malaysian Association for Cancer Research (MACR) International Scientific Conference, a forum discussion was held to address these challenges and explore strategies to improve access to cancer medicines in the country. This paper presents the results of the said forum discussion. A few challenges to cancer drug access were highlighted, including lengthy approval and regulatory practices, cost of medicines, and manufacturing barriers. Besides, a few strategies for mitigating some of these challenges were proposed, such as mechanisms for cost reduction, uptake of biosimilars and generics, local manufacturing, public-private partnerships, strengthening the role of insurance companies, funding and regulation, and advocacy for fair pricing, by drawing examples from cancer medicines access initiatives in Malaysia and initiatives for different disease groups. Overall, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and strategies for improving access to cancer medicines in Malaysia and provides valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, the pharmaceutical industry, cancer patients, cancer support groups, and other stakeholders working on this important issue.

Indexed as

cancer drug accesscancer treatmentMalaysianon-equitable cancer drug distribution

Identifiers

PMID37636030
PMCPMC10457461

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.