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The global system for discovering new cancer drugs is €˜broken’, and failing to turn dramatic scientific advances into enough innovative, game-changing medicines, a world-leading UK expert has warned.Professor Paul Workman, Interim Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, told the World Oncology Forum last week that big leaps forward in cancer treatment were now possible €“ but only with major changes to the model for discovering and developing drugs.In his keynote lecture Professor Workman €“ one of the world’s leading experts in cancer drug discovery €“ said that concerted action was needed by governments, pharmaceutical companies, regulators and academic institutions to fix a system that was failing to take the risks needed to deliver exciting new treatments.Professor Workman told the summit in Lugano, Switzerland, that drugs were only available for 5% of the 500 known cancer drug targets €“ and that far more were needed to deliver the combination treatments that are essential to overcome the major problem of cancer evolution and drug resistance.The World Oncology Forum €“ only the second to have been organised €“ brings together 50 global leaders in cancer research and treatment in order to come up with policy recommendations designed to improve treatments across the world.Professor Workman said that the overall €˜ecosystem’ of pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, government and regulators was far too risk averse, mostly tending to work in the same areas of research and producing €˜me too’ drugs, similar to others on the market, rather than genuinely new, innovative medicines.