Posted on 08/07/2026 1:27:30 PM PDT by nickcarraway
When cisplatin came on the market in 1978, it revolutionized cancer care. Carboplatin, a related chemotherapy drug with fewer side effects, soon followed in 1986. Together, these two drugs have saved countless lives and are prescribed for up to 20% of cancer patients to treat ovarian, bladder, breast, lung, and other types of cancer. “They're the backbone for treatments for a lot of different types of cancer,” says Dr. Jacob Reibel, a medical oncologist at Dartmouth Cancer Center.
And yet, in recent years, when some hospital pharmacists have gone to source these chemo drugs for patients, they’ve had difficulty. They’ve had to call around, looking for some other facility that might have extra doses. Doctors, for their part, have had to have tough conversations with patients. If there’s no carboplatin or cisplatin to be had, patients might be given another, less-optimal chemotherapy. Or doctors might try spacing the doses out more than they usually would, trying to stretch the supply. Some fear that these shortages, which have been ongoing since 2023, might make cancer more deadly. In June, the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit scientific group, released their latest report on drug shortages, which revealed that the average duration of shortages for drugs of all kinds has more than doubled since 2019.
Why is this happening? The reasons, it turns out, are essentially economic, and have to do with hospitals paying as little as possible for these lifesaving drugs—so little, in the end, that few companies can afford to make them.
Why is there a chemotherapy drug shortage?
This problem has been building for a while, says Matthew Christian, director of supply chain insights at U.S. Pharmacopeia. “Back in 2019, the average drug shortage only lasted about two years.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
I’ve certainly had my share of that drug the past couple years.
I’ve had a full 12 round course of treatment, including oxaliplatin, which has given me neuropathy in my hands. On “maintenance” now.
Ever look at your insurance explanation of benefits? Costs are stated as $20k +.
Because they want you to die. Ask Bill Gates about that
Problem is the government, and the big insurance monopolies it enables, can’t respond to price signals from drug manufacturers. There used to be loads of generic drug manufacturers, mostly all making money, albeit on small margins controlled by competition. Folks would complain about the price of US brand name meds (high when the rest of the world was doing price controls but we weren’t) but at the same time our free market provided relatively, by world standards, cheap generics, reliably available. Until our government started price controlling meds, both directly and indirectly (empowering insurance to do that) while expanding expensive US regulations to plants worldwide And just like Mamdani’s ‘cheap’ grocery stores will again show, the result is empty shelves, shortages. And the real prices, for what you can actually get, go up. People get hungry, sick and die. With the government blaming the producers when it is the real culprit.
Is That 20K Per “Round” Or Year ?
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Asking for a FRiend.
China. China. China.
“Why is this happening? The reasons, it turns out, are essentially economic, and have to do with hospitals paying as little as possible for these lifesaving drugs—so little, in the end, that few companies can afford to make them.”
The downside of for profit medical care.
The downside of for profit medical care.
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I oppose the existence of patents. If they didn’t exist, meds would be cheaper.
Per round.
Not the only drugs with shortages…ask some menopausal women about how hard it is to find and get their estrogen/hormone replacement drugs….if you dare!
Thanks for That clarification.
The first cost I saw for ‘Pomalist’
Was 16K “per Round” IIRC over a year a go
The VA picked up the Full tab.
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My late wife’s chemo treatments every 3 weeks were billed at $34,000/month. But .Medicare Advantage paid most of it.
I’m with Humana thru Medicare but after 50 yrs tried the VA and they stepped Up Fantastically as I had Several expensive issues to deal with. I don’t know How much has been Covered in the last Two Years and I Shudder even at a Guess. 70 yrs and Heathy as a Horse Them BAM !
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My VA is an Old 1860’s Cavalry Fort and I just love an excuse to Saddle up !
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God Blessed Us ——Everone.
“Why is this happening? The reasons, it turns out, are essentially economic, and have to do with hospitals paying as little as possible for these lifesaving drugs—so little, in the end, that few companies can afford to make them.”
Could there be a connection between what hospitals are willing to pay and the reimbursement rates from insurance companies both Medicare/Medicaid and private ones?
I think too more hospitals are now owned by private equity groups which means a larger profit margin is expected so they cut expenses to meet that expectation.
“ I oppose the existence of patents. If they didn’t exist, meds would be cheaper.”
They wouldn’t exist at all, chowderhead.
L
Recent developments in gardening have disclosed the anti-cancer properties of dandelions and nicotine (patches).
I have pretty decent insurance, and when all this started, I paid out of pocket ~$2500 or so.
The same reason there’s an antibiotic, saline, anesthesia, etc shortage?
We make little of the most basic drugs, preferring to buy them from the likes of China and India.
My key to health at age 86 is daily MILD aerobic walk for 27+ minutes with light weights strapped to each wrist. Over age 65 people do NOT need intensive workouts. That is more likely to cause injury and those are slow to heal for geezers. I am keeping good heart function, good BP, good Glucose, and no joint pains with my DAILY routine. Very important to exercise at least 6 times every week.
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