NCI Drug Discovery Program Pays Off

ROCKVILLE, Md--Bruce Chabner, MD, director of the NCI Divisionof Cancer Treatment, said that over the past decade, NCI's drugdiscovery and development programs have produced seven new drugscurrently being used to treat cancer and AIDS. The program costabout $1.4 billion: $200 million for every New Drug Applicationfiled.

Dr. Chabner made the report to the National Cancer Advisory Board'sAd Hoc Working Group on NCI Intramural Programs. He added thatduring the decade, increases in AIDS research funding has hada significant effect on the intramural research program. "Intramuralscientists have shifted the focus of their research to followthe money," he said.