FDA eyes faster approval of chemotherapy treatments

The Hill ^ | October 6, 2014 | Tim Devaney

[Squawk 8888]

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking to speed up the approval process for chemotherapies and other cancer drugs to treat early-stage breast cancer, the agency announced Monday.

In a guidance document, the FDA said it is looking to expedite the approval process to encourage industry to develop breakthrough chemotherapies, formally known as neoadjuvant treatment.

The guidelines are intended to help pharmaceutical companies design trials that will get approved more quickly so they can begin marketing the breast cancer therapies before they've completed testing, the FDA noted.

The goal is to reduce the number of people who receive mastectomies by using innovative therapies instead, the FDA said.

"There are several potential reasons to consider neoadjuvant treatment for early-stage breast cancer," the agency wrote. "Giving chemotherapy preoperatively permits breast conservation in some patients who would otherwise require mastectomy and may improve cosmesis in existing candidates for breast conservation."

[RWB Patriot]

Shouldn’t need their permission in the first place.

[Squawk 8888]

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[Tired of Taxes]

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[oh8eleven]

FDA eyes faster approval of chemotherapy treatments
Define "faster." IMO, one of the biggest scams in America (other than Obama, oh,and the Space Shuttle) has been the amount of money and time spent in the last half-century on curing diseases like cancer, MS, MD, ALS, Parkinson's etc.
Trillions of dollars and 50 years later and these "scientists" have little to show for their efforts.
Yes, there's been minor progress, but when I look at what Jonas Salk did in just a few years, in the (archaic) 1950s, with very little funding, I have no choice but to think it's all about the money.

[rawcatslyentist]

>"Shouldn’t need their permission in the first place."

Where is our God given freedom, to seek relief from pain, suffering, and deadly disease?

Why in the hands of the DEA, and FDA! They have nazi death squads with itchy trigger fingers ready to use deadly force against anyone that they even slightly suspect defies their authority over your body!

We got along great for the first 100 years without a nanny state murdering children and their pets in their sleep over medical decisions!

IF you really claim to want smaller less intrusive govt, defund/defrock all the alphabets of tyranny!

[Georgia Girl 2]

Of course Cannabis oil which works is out of the question. If it can’t be patented big pharma is not interested.

[i_robot73]

I would love to see some of the ‘tested and dismissed’ drugs come back for human trials...and WORK.

There is no reason, IMHO, not to throw EVERYTHING at the wall, as it were, in trying to cure/eradicate diseases/viruses/etc. while people are dying of the same; and when these same people would happily sign any consent form to be a human guinea pig (what have they got to lose?).

Just another damn UnConstitutional bloated bureaucracy that should go away

[what's up]

A cancer drug was just approved in Sept which is very, very promising.

[oh8eleven]

There is no reason, IMHO, not to throw EVERYTHING at the wall, as it were, in trying to cure/eradicate diseases/viruses/etc.
But there is a reason, and it's right at the heart of the dilemma - no diseases, no funding, no job.

[i_robot73]

To a point, true. But the prestige one would bring (and thus $$$) when/if one were to find a discard that worked or enhanced one already in use or...I doubt EVERYONE in the field would be so myopic to think a single victory would negate all that, when there are SO many to cure/fix/etc. out there.

[i_robot73]

Good to hear, but my gut feeling is Fedzilla has been the bane of a few, as of now, successes.