Impact analysis of ICH S9 on non-clinical development of anticancer drugs

Cancer presents a major healthcare challenge worldwide, with several millions new cases a year, and represents a therapeutic area with a high need for new drugs. To respond to this, the parties of the International Conference for Harmonization agreed in 2007 to develop a guideline on nonclinical requirements for oncology therapeutics' development (ICH S9), which came into effect in early 2010. This guideline includes recommendations to facilitate and accelerate the development and marketing of cancer therapeutic agents for serious and life threatening malignancies and aims to address this need through a refinement and a reduction in the use of experimental animals, following the 3Rs principles. To assess the impact of ICH S9 on drug development and reduction of animal use, we performed an analysis of Marketing Authorization Applications at the European Medicines Agency relevant to the period in which the development of the guideline was approaching the final steps and its early implementation period. From the analysis performed, a consistent trend towards a decrease in the average number of non-clinical studies performed (−40.7%) and number of animals used per development program (−58.1%) for new chemical entities has been detected, highlighting increasing compliance by companies to the recommendations of ICH S9. •Cancer is a major challenge and a therapeutic area with a high need for new drugs.•ICH S9 guides at faster cancer medicines development following the 3Rs principles.•Marketing authorisation applications for oncology were reviewed at EMA from 2008 to 13.•ICH S9 has led to a significant reduction in non-clinical studies performed.•This guideline has promoted an optimization of animal use.