Episode Details

A new study has found that 41 percent of cancer drugs receiving accelerated government approval do not improve survival or quality of life.

一项新研究发现，41% 获得政府加速批准的抗癌药物并不能改善生存或生活质量。

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) accelerated approval program aims to get new drugs to patients as quickly as possible. But the effectiveness of the drugs differs.

美国食品和药物管理局 (FDA) 的加速审批计划旨在尽快为患者提供新药。 但药物的功效不同。

The program was created in 1992 to speed up the approval of HIV drugs. Today, about 85 percent of accelerated approvals go to cancer drugs.

该计划创建于 1992 年，旨在加快艾滋病毒药物的审批速度。 如今，大约 85% 的加速批准用于抗癌药物。

The program helps the FDA collect data on early results of approved drugs. In exchange, drug companies are expected to use the data to do additional testing. They are to produce better evidence before drugs receive normal approval.

该计划帮助 FDA 收集已批准药物的早期结果数据。 作为交换，制药公司预计将使用这些数据进行额外的测试。 他们将在药物获得正常批准之前提供更好的证据。

The new study suggests most cancer drugs given accelerated approval do not improve or extend patients’ lives within five years.

这项新研究表明，大多数加速批准的癌症药物在五年内不会改善或延长患者的生命。

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel is a cancer specialist and bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania. He was not involved in the research.

Ezekiel Emanuel 博士是宾夕法尼亚大学的癌症专家和生物伦理学家。 他没有参与这项研究。

Emanuel told The Associated Press (AP) he thinks five years should be enough time to examine the effectiveness of new drugs. “Thousands of people are getting those drugs. That seems a mistake if w