Cancer patients are facing a severe shortage of drugs that a gynecologic oncologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine called “likely the worst chemotherapy drug shortage crisis that the U.S. has ever seen” in an article in Scientific American.
24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of drugs that treat various forms of cancer from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the agency has determined are in shortage.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation has determined that the average drug shortage affects at least a half a million consumers.
Doctors have been forced to ration diminishing supplies, cut back on dosage levels, and turn to inferior alternatives. Besides oncology drugs, medicines for anti-inflammatory drugs, antimicrobials, hormonal medications, and oral liquid medicines also are in short supply.
What makes the scarcity of oncology drugs so fearful is that these medications can be the difference between life and death. According to the Scientific American story, among the most affected treatments are the platinum-based injectable drugs carboplatin and cisplatin. These are used to treat breast cancer, gynecologic cancers, testicular cancer, head and neck cancers, and bladder cancer. (These are 20 early signs warning signs of cancer you should not ignore.)
Many of the drugs in short supply are generics whose patent exclusivity has expired, opening the door for other companies to manufacture them. But because of intense competition and tight profit margins, there is little incentive for the companies to make the drugs.
To help mitigate the shortage for some treatments, the FDA has relaxed its import policy to allow a Chinese company to import non-approved cisplatin from China to the U.S. and Canadian company Apotex, which would be the drug’s distributor in the U.S.
There has been pressure on legislators to take a more active role in addressing drug shortfalls. Last year, members of Congress proposed the Drug Shortage Prevention Act that would authorize the FDA to require drug makers to report anticipated shortages ahead of time.
Here is a list of common medications used to treat cancer currently in shortage
Amifostine Injection
- Brand name: Ethyol
- Purpose: Help lessen the side effects of certain cancer chemotherapy medications or radiation treatment
- Manufacturer: Clinigen Inc.
Azacitidine Injection
- Brand name: Vidaza
- Purpose: Treat juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia
- Manufacturer: Bristol Myers Squibb
Capecitabine Tablet
- Brand name: Xeloda
- Purpose: Help prevent colon cancer from coming back after surgery.
- Manufacturer: Cheplapharm
Carboplatin Injection
- Brand name: Paraplatin
- Purpose: Used to treat cancer of the ovaries
- Manufacturer: Bristol Myers Squibb
Cisplatin Injection
- Brand name: Platinol-AQ
- Purpose: Used to treat advanced cancer of the bladder, ovaries, or testicles
- Manufacturer: Teva Pharmaceuticals
Cytarabine Injection
- Brand name: Cytosar-U, Tarabine PFS, Cytosar
- Purpose: Used together with other cancer drugs to treat certain types of leukemia
- Manufacturer: Pfizer Inc.
Dacarbazine Injection
- Brand name: Dtic-Dome
- Purpose: Treats cancer of the lymph system and malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer)
- Manufacturer: Pfizer Inc.
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Injection
- Brand name: De-Sone LA injection, Decadron
- Purpose: Used to treat allergic disorders, skin conditions, blood cell disorders, and problems caused by low adrenal gland hormone levels
- Manufacturer: Pfizer Inc.
Fludarabine Phosphate Injection
- Brand name: Fludara
- Purpose: Used to treat B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- Manufacturer: Ben Venue Laboratories
Flurazepam Hydrochloride Capsule
- Brand name: Dalmane
- Purpose: Treatment for insomnia
- Manufacturer: N/A
Hydrocortisone Sodium Succinate Injection
- Brand name: A-Hydrocort, SoluCORTEF
- Purpose: Used to treat inflammation, severe allergic reactions, kidney diseases, and others
- Manufacturer: Pfizer Inc.
Leucovorin Calcium Injection
- Brand name: Wellcovorin
- Purpose: Counteracts the toxicity and diminish the effects of impaired methotrexate elimination
- Manufacturer: Fresenius Kabi
Methotrexate Sodium Injection
- Brand name: Otrexup, Rasuvo, RediTrex
- Purpose: Used alone or together with other medicines to treat several types of cancer
- Manufacturer: Fresenius Kabi
Methotrexate Sodium Tablet
- Brand name: Trexall, Xatmep
- Purpose: Treats leukemia and other types of cancer, including of the breast, skin, lung, or uterus
- Manufacturer: Fresenius Kabi
Streptozocin Powder, For Solution
- Brand name: Zanosar
- Purpose: Treats cancer of the pancreas
- Manufacturer: Teva Parenteral Medicines, Inc.
Vinblastine Sulfate Injection
- Brand name: Velban
- Purpose: Used to treat Hodgkin’s disease
- Manufacturer: N/A