Post by Parisa Rahimzadeh

I am delighted to share that a key publication from my PhD research has now been published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe (The Lancet Group). 📄 Efficacy and Safety Evidence Supporting Cancer Drug Approvals in Switzerland (2001–2020): A Meta-Analysis of Pivotal Randomised Controlled Trials https://lnkd.in/eQQwqUF9 This study was the result of a successful collaboration between the Universitätsspital Zürich, University of Zurich, and Swissmedic . In this work, we comprehensively assessed the clinical evidence supporting the approval of cancer medicines in Switzerland over two decades. 💊🔬 • Our findings showed that new cancer therapies can extend survival and delay disease progression. • We also found that commonly used surrogate endpoints, such as tumour progression or recurrence, should be interpreted alongside overall survival outcomes. • Importantly, the relationship between these surrogate measures and patient survival varies across tumour types and treatment modalities. 🚨These findings underscore the importance of continued evidence generation after approval to confirm long-term clinical benefits, strengthen the evidence base for regulatory and clinical decision-making, and reduce uncertainties that may remain at the time of approval. I am deeply grateful to my supervisors, Prof. Andreas Wicki and Prof. Ulrich-Peter Rohr , as well as my co-authors and collaborators at Swissmedic, USZ, and UZH for their guidance, support, and invaluable contributions throughout this journey. 🙏🏻 #TheLancetRegionalHealthEurope #Oncology #CancerResearch #ClinicalTrials #RegulatoryScience #Swissmedic #UniversityOfZurich #DrugDevelopment #DrugApproval