STAT+: White House touts efforts to stem cancer drug shortages
The White House outlined its efforts to end shortages of three key generic chemotherapies. But experts want more more details.
WASHINGTON — The White House says it’s working to end shortages of three key generic chemotherapies. But experts said the administration would have to provide more details to fully mitigate the health care system’s concerns.
Carboplatin, cisplatin, and methotrexate are three of 15 cancer drugs in shortage in the United States. They have been staples of cancer treatment for decades, according to a White House blog post, but their supply in the United States has been nearly halved in the past year. The shortages have forced doctors to ration the drugs and alter treatment plans, leaving cancer patients to wonder whether their survival odds are hurt.
In its blog post, the White House noted that it’s now allowing Chinese imports of cisplatin. The Food and Drug Administration is also working with generic drug companies to boost production of all three drugs, but it didn’t say which companies.
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