Critical shortage of leukemia drugs put thousands of kids at risk

Seriously, the pharma industry needs it's butt KICKED or NATIONALIZED.

Critical Shortage of Children's Leukemia Drug

Medication used to treat the most common form of childhood leukemia is in short supply, adding to the largest nationwide shortage of critical lifesaving hospital medications in nearly a decade.

All five pharmaceutical companies that make the injection drug methotrexate, which treats acute lymphoblastic leukemia by slowing the growth of cancer cells, have either slowed and stopped manufacturing of the drug, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The companies have cited high demand or manufacturing delays as reasons for the shortage.

The insanity :

While the FDA can oversee imports of drugs that are in short supply, it cannot regulate how much a company can make. In fact, manufacturers are not required to report shortages to the FDA.

Which they should be when talking about life saving drugs like these...

Limited manufacturing, lagging production time and lack of profits from these drugs contribute to the shortages. The production costs for some drugs can outweigh the money that companies can make from them, since many drugs now have cheaper generic alternatives. So manufacturers stop making the drugs.

So basically : no profit, we don't make them, screw people who die.

There needs to be a solution here... and FAST... Either SUBSIDIZE the drugs... or NATIONALIZE the pharma industry.

Otherwise people will die.

Will big business win again and thousands of kids will pay the price with their lives? Probably. The God of money needs to be appeased with the blood of kids apparently and the pharma industry has no problems with that.... no better than terrorists really.

Everyone on here that screams free-market, and has a child/family member with leukemia...

You still screaming it?

And how do you make non-profitable drugs profitable? Limit the supply.

So far this year, at least 180 drugs that are crucial for treating childhood leukemia, breast and colon cancer, infections and other diseases have been declared in short supply — a record number. Prices for some have risen as much as eightyfold.

www.nytimes.com...

reply to post by Maluhia


Yep. That is called EVIL.

Subsidize the drugs or nationalize the drug companies.

Oddly, the shortage seems to be across several areas. My other half just had to spend a good part of a day running around and calling around to find a pharmacy that had sufficient supply for 1 month of Foculin for our son's ADHD. We aren't in some hick town... All 5 Super Center Walmarts said they were out for being able to fill it and she went through 3 Walgreens before finding one that still had some. I would never have thought of it as anything special? Odd...

Before everyone grabs their torches and pitchforks, you all might want to take a look at it from a different appoach.
Source

While President Obama rests up at Martha's Vineyard, people whose lives should be saved by new and existing cancer drugs are driving from hospital to hospital in search of medicines in short supply thanks in part to Obamacare's implementation.

Over the past two years shortages have developed for over 180 drugs, including cancer treatments. The shortfall is the result of stricter FDA regulation, government price controls on already discounted but complex drugs, and policies that discourage the use of new medications. Companies, facing lower prices, tighter regulation and increasing government control over what drugs will be used and when, are exiting the U.S. market and investing in product development in China and India where, sadly, it is easier and cheaper to produce next-generation medicines.

Also

Obamacare is making the commercialization of newer drugs and devices more difficult.

Though new and faster methods to determine a technology's safety and effectiveness exist, Obama's FDA still demands evidence collected with science and statistical methods developed in the 19th century. To be sure, in the last two years new medicines for AIDS, cancer, lupus and hepatitis have been developed. Yet, these products should have been available sooner if not for FDA nitpicking.

Drug shortages and Obamacare. Coincidence?

I think not.

reply to post by beezzer


Spoken like a true Republican

2nd

Originally posted by muse7
reply to post by beezzer

 

Spoken like a true Republican

2nd

This ain't about republicans/democrats. Big pharma and the medical insurance industry WROTE THE FREAKING BILL.

reply to post by Vitchilo


I know it's not

There are kids dying, yet some people always find a way to drag "Obamacare" and blame Obama while completely ignoring the bigger issue

reply to post by Vitchilo
Since this IS a conspiracy site;
The Obama administration wants their healthcare plan to pass.
Through legislation, regulation they create shortages.
The huddled "masses" scream for a rescue.

In comes Obamacare, ridng the white horse, coming to save the day, with *cough* nationalizing pharma, healthcare, medicine.

reply to post by muse7
I'm simply providing another reason for the shortage.

Sorry if it "dings" your king.

reply to post by beezzer

I'm no fan of Obama or Obamacare, but, the drug cited in the OP has been around for a while and the reasons for its shortage do not really conform to the info in the article you posted, which seems to refer mainly to next generation medicines.

Originally posted by Maluhia
reply to post by beezzer

 

I'm no fan of Obama or Obamacare, but, the drug cited in the OP has been around for a while and the reasons for its shortage do not really conform to the info in the article you posted, which seems to refer mainly to next generation medicines.

Heres a link for pharma reasons (from the FDA) why there is a shortage.
www.fda.gov...

From my brief reading on this, it appears that the drug in question is also key in treating RA (rheumatoid arthritis)

Now this is just speculation on my part, but what if there is a connection between "pre-existing conditions" (as RA would be included) treatment, and the clauses in Obamacare that require insurance companies to provide treatment? Insurance companies lose out, becuase of the cost and treatment, so pharama steps in and under federal mandate provides the drugs at a higher rate because of this "shortage".

Not saying pharma is innocent, they all look at the bottom line regardless of patient care, but with the added influence of Obamacare, it makes the bottom line sweater.

reply to post by beezzer


LOL
You think insurance companies or pharma is losing out on Obamacare?
The insurance companies stocks went up in value after Obamacare was passed..

It helps them...it guarantees money to them by forcing everyone to have insurance. If everyone has insurance everyone is buying pills.

Plus, medication shortages were around long before Obamacare was even written or passed.

Originally posted by RealSpoke
reply to post by beezzer

 

LOL
You think insurance companies or pharma is losing out on Obamacare?
The insurance companies stocks went up in value after Obamacare was passed..

It helps them...it guarantees money to them by forcing everyone to have insurance. If everyone has insurance everyone is buying pills.

Plus, medication shortages were around long before Obamacare was even written or passed.

Can you source that? The prior to two years?
Thanks

reply to post by Vitchilo


calm down...


the drugs don't work anyway...just a money making scam...

chemo only has a 3% success rate over 5 years after massaging the figures and i can prove it.

the lancet journal once said more people are killed by the chemo than by the cancer...


have a look at this and wake up from your delusion.

look at the first one 97 survivors from 5139 cancers on the neck and head...and i have non doubt due to misdiagnose.

some of the survivors never had cancer to start with due large numbers of misdiagnoses.


misdiagnoses generates large sums of money in repeat scans and follow up treatment.up to $500000

lets give it a new name. scan & scam $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$



www.oasisadvancedwellness.com...

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Oddly, the shortage seems to be across several areas. My other half just had to spend a good part of a day running around and calling around to find a pharmacy that had sufficient supply for 1 month of Foculin for our son's ADHD. We aren't in some hick town... All 5 Super Center Walmarts said they were out for being able to fill it and she went Odd...

ADHD?

it is a made up disease and you have been hoodwinked by the charlatans.

you try changing his diet and some attention instead of giving him chemical crap while you watch x factor.

you can look it up yourself at the great ADHD scam.

i don't believe in excessive kindness to ignorant people.sink or swim as you please.

There are many major drug shortages, that will continue to increase over the next 5-10 months. Along with Food, and Water shortages, 2012 may not be the year of the Apocalypse, just the first modern time America has had to cut RATIONS.


Yes my friends, RATIONS. I believe it is going to happen. If I am right, since I warned you, you all owe me a lil something something

reply to post by nobodysavedme


These insane pharma people have so corrupted the FDA that there's ADHD drugs around for 3 YEARS OLD... 3 freaking years old!!!

And the sick part of it is that some parents will believe the ads or the corrupt MD and give it to their kids.

reply to post by beezzer

In 2007, there were 120 drug shortages.

It is expensive to hold capacity ready to make a drug and yet earn no sales from that capacity the vast majority of the time. In our current system this cost would fall on the generic drug firm that chose to build excess capacity or dual source; it would have high costs relative to its competitors. Clearly, in a competitive market, which the generic drug industry is, no firm will choose this route unless it receives a higher price in the market or other compensation

^ Government source stating that the drug shortages are strictly due to profit concerns

aspe.hhs.gov...

www.medicinenet.com...

But before shedding any tears for the insurance companies, check their stock prices. One of the most remarkable moments of the administration came on June 24, 2009, when, during a nationally televised ABC News “town hall” meeting on health care from the White House, Mr. Obama told Aetna’s CEO, “Aetna is a well-managed company and I am confident that your shareholders are going to do well.”

reason.com...