Norman Ng, Director of Patient Advocacy and Public Affairs at Healthcare Thinkers, shared on LinkedIn:
“CARE SUMMIT: As Cancer Drug Innovation Accelerates, Healthcare Financing Must Keep Pace
At the CARE SUMMIT session ‘Advancing Oncology Innovation in Asia’, Associate Professor Manuel Antonio Espinoza Espinoza delivered a thought-provoking presentation.
Projections show around 100 new oncology medicines will arrive globally by 2029. AI-powered discovery, ADCs, cell and gene therapies and other novel modalities are continuously speeding up the drug pipeline.
His key message is compelling: drug discovery is no longer the bottleneck. The constraints have shifted downstream to clinical trials, regulatory review, and most importantly, patient access and sustainable healthcare financing.
More new therapies mean greater hope for people living with cancer. Yet rapidly rising oncology spending creates pressure on payers. Without forward planning on subsidies, funding and insurance frameworks, these breakthrough treatments may not be accessible to patients who need them.
During the panel discussion, Professor Rina Hui, Professor Stephen Chan and other experts explored practical pathways. While we should keep supporting R and D and faster regulatory review, we also need sustainable financing tools: value assessment, managed entry agreements and cancer-specific protection schemes, to strike a balance between innovation incentives, public fiscal capacity and equitable access.
As a patient advocate, I celebrate the progress in cancer research. Yet innovation only delivers real hope when treatments are affordable and reachable. The innovation engine is speeding up; our financing systems cannot lag behind.”
CARE Summit stands for Clinical Advancement and Research Excellence. It is an international healthcare and clinical research conference organised by the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute (GBAICTI).
The 2026 summit takes place on November 4–5 in Hong Kong, bringing together experts from healthcare, academia, government, pharmaceutical companies and regulatory organisations.
Its main focus is advancing clinical research, encouraging international collaboration and helping translate medical discoveries into treatments that can reach patients.
What is the session “Advancing Oncology Innovation in Asia” about?
This session focuses on the progress of cancer research and the challenges of bringing new cancer treatments from development to patients.
It covers several important topics:
- Cancer drug innovation: The development of new cancer medicines, particularly in China and across Asia.
- Clinical trials: How early-phase clinical trials help test new cancer therapies and accelerate their development.
- Hong Kong’s role: Its position in international cancer clinical research and collaboration.
- New cancer treatments: Emerging therapies and advances in oncology.
- Sustainable drug development: How Asia can continue developing innovative treatments while ensuring long-term impact.
- Patient access: How to make innovative cancer treatments available and affordable for patients.
Read more articles featuring Norman Ng on OncoDaily.
