Cancer drug research moving fast in immunotherapy field

The last few weeks have been historic in the fight against cancer. Novartis got approval for the first treatment in a revolutionary new class of drugs, shortly after Gilead Sciences Inc. spent $11.9 billion on a biotech company working in the field.

Neither can rest on its laurels. Research in the field is moving so fast that today’s breakthroughs can easily become tomorrow’s has-beens.

“I can’t think of any other therapies in oncology that have seen such rapid development,” said Rachel Webster, senior director of oncology at Decision Resources Group, a health care research and consulting firm in London.