Not for profit
Benefiting patients is the only measurable target of the Anticancer Fund. As we strive to improve quality of life and respond to real patient needs with new therapy options, financial return is not within the scope of our activities.
Cancer research is a business
The pharmaceutical industry operates within an economic reality: the business value of a new therapy sets the research agenda and budget. Small patient groups, weak market value, complex patent protection, danger of off-label use,... result in a low economic drive to develop new treatment options. Cancer is a business that speaks the language of money.
Cancer research is biased
In terms of drug development, the larger the population of patients, the greater the market potential of the therapy. The ‘big four’ cancers (lung, breast, prostate and colorectal) represent more than 50% of cancers detected worldwide, and are thus prioritised by the cancer industry. Over 20% of cancer patients suffer from a rare or less common form of cancer, which includes all paediatric cancers. Although every cancer patient deserves the same rights, pharmaceutical industry and academic research are secondarily oriented towards this group.
Cancer research is expensive
From basic research to clinical trials and market authorisation: de novo development of a cancer treatment is exorbitantly expensive. The process can take over 10 years and cost up to 2 billion euros. Novel molecules and new therapies generate opportunities for patents, a highly valued and sought-after economic asset. With their eyes on the price, followers and ‘me too’ developers duplicate research for profit, resulting in little added value for the patient.
High-tech, expensive cancer research is the flagship in the development of new cancer treatments. While this approach contributes greatly to our growing knowledge, other promising alternatives are often trampled and abandoned in the cancer care gold rush. Therefore, the ACF will give all promising treatment options without commercial value, a chance.
Our current focus areas
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Drug repurposing
Drug repurposing, also known as drug repositioning, is a drug development strategy predicated on the reuse of existing...
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Less common and rare cancers
We don’t just focus on the ‘big four’ of cancer – prostate, colon, breast and lung. We also investigate new treatment...
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Combination therapies
It is important to investigate the impacts of drugs beyond what they can achieve alone. Using them in combination...
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Preventing tumour recurrence
For cancer survivors, the fight isn’t always over. Many are concerned about the possibility of recurrence, and living...
Our views on treating cancer
OUR PROMISE
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We invest in the most promising research to make measurable progress in the fight against cancer. -
We strive to improve survival and quality of life, financial return is not within the scope of our activities. -
We identify untapped potential in cancer research leading to pragmatic solutions for patients in need. -
We seek impact and we invest our resources where we believe we can make the most progress. -
Every cancer deserves the same attention, regardless of prevalence or profitability.