Durbin Urges FDA To Address Shortage Of Life-Saving Drugs For Cancer Patients

Letter

"As a result of these shortages, providers have struggled to obtain even a limited supply of these medications and have had to ration care only for their sickest patients--denying or delaying care for others. These delays in treatment have life or death consequences, with a 2020 study in The BMJ finding that every month delayed in cancer treatment can raise the risk of death by approximately 10 percent. We have come too far in our fight against cancer to take such a dramatic--and preventable--step backward.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

In the short-term, I urge FDA to take immediate action to alleviate the burden on patients and providers caused by shortages of critical cancer drugs. The agency should use its authority to allow for the safe importation of these drugs from other countries, work with manufacturers to extend expiration dates--if safe and appropriate--on existing supplies of the drugs, regularly provide clear and timely updates to providers on expected timelines for additional supply, and ensure expedited inspections and reviews to assist in resolving this shortage. I know that FDA is working hard to address this shortage, and I welcome any suggestions you might have for how Congress can assist in these efforts.

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is distressing enough. Receiving a cancer diagnosis and then being told that there is a drug that can save you, but that you cannot get it because of a shortage, is simply unacceptable. And yet, that is exactly what is happening to cancer patients nationwide."

Source