CNN: Thousands of Bladder Cancer Patients Are Not Receiving Full Treatment Due to Pharmaceutical Companies Not Making the Drug Because It’s Cheap

SCIUTTO Thousands of bladder ░░░░░░░░ patients are getting only ░░░░░░░░ treatments now because of ░░░░░░░░ shortage of drugs And ░░░░░░░░ s no apparent end ░░░░░░░░ sight CNN is getting ░░░░░░░░ exclusive first look at ░░░░░░░░ new report on that ░░░░░░░░ HILL The report shows ░░░░░░░░ than 8 000 patients ░░░░░░░░ year just aren t ░░░░░░░░ the full treatments that ░░░░░░░░ need from the life ░░░░░░░░ drug BCG because of ░░░░░░░░ shortage It is actually ░░░░░░░░ drug of choice for ░░░░░░░░ very common type of ░░░░░░░░ cancer CNN Senior Medical ░░░░░░░░ Elizabeth Cohen joining us ░░░░░░░░ So Elizabeth why the ░░░░░░░░ COHEN Erica there are ░░░░░░░░ of so many different ░░░░░░░░ out there And this ░░░░░░░░ one of them One ░░░░░░░░ the sponsors of this ░░░░░░░░ says it is just ░░░░░░░░ talking to patients who ░░░░░░░░ told what we should ░░░░░░░░ you for your bladder ░░░░░░░░ is this many doses ░░░░░░░░ this drug called BCG ░░░░░░░░ we can t we ░░░░░░░░ t do it because ░░░░░░░░ s not enough of ░░░░░░░░ So bladder cancer is ░░░░░░░░ terrible no cancer is ░░░░░░░░ this is a particularly ░░░░░░░░ one a 30 to ░░░░░░░░ percent recurrence rate which ░░░░░░░░ very high So let ░░░░░░░░ take a look at ░░░░░░░░ s going on with ░░░░░░░░ drug Again it s ░░░░░░░░ BCG And some hospitals ░░░░░░░░ they re just giving ░░░░░░░░ doses they just can ░░░░░░░░ give as many as ░░░░░░░░ would like to give ░░░░░░░░ so patients are told ░░░░░░░░ Some hospitals in this ░░░░░░░░ they say they can ░░░░░░░░ give it at all ░░░░░░░░ have none to give ░░░░░░░░ bladder cancer patients Now ░░░░░░░░ ask why What s ░░░░░░░░ on here Different drug ░░░░░░░░ have different reasons For ░░░░░░░░ one it is more ░░░░░░░░ 40 years old It ░░░░░░░░ inexpensive so no pharmaceutical ░░░░░░░░ is clamoring to make ░░░░░░░░ and it is tough ░░░░░░░░ make So there s ░░░░░░░░ one manufacturer Merck Just ░░░░░░░░ in the entire world ░░░░░░░░ the only ones who ░░░░░░░░ making this drug crosstalk ░░░░░░░░ It s amazing how ░░░░░░░░ we see that happen ░░░░░░░░ make I mean or ░░░░░░░░ handful you think about ░░░░░░░░ formula So so so ░░░░░░░░ what can be done ░░░░░░░░ this to to help ░░░░░░░░ patients COHEN So in ░░░░░░░░ case there s some ░░░░░░░░ term things that hospitals ░░░░░░░░ been doing So first ░░░░░░░░ all they are using ░░░░░░░░ effective drugs sometimes Imagine ░░░░░░░░ told you have this ░░░░░░░░ cancer a high recurrence ░░░░░░░░ we can t give ░░░░░░░░ the drug We want ░░░░░░░░ give you we ll ░░░░░░░░ you something that s ░░░░░░░░ as good Merck is ░░░░░░░░ a new facility but ░░░░░░░░ say it won t ░░░░░░░░ ready for five to ░░░░░░░░ years in order to ░░░░░░░░ know get up and ░░░░░░░░ in production Now some ░░░░░░░░ are advocating not just ░░░░░░░░ the shortage but for ░░░░░░░░ ones as well they ░░░░░░░░ advocating that the government ░░░░░░░░ pharmaceutical companies to make ░░░░░░░░ like this that Don ░░░░░░░░ have a huge market ░░░░░░░░ are inexpensive Other people ░░░░░░░░ pharmaceutical companies are wealthy ░░░░░░░░ why should we have ░░░░░░░░ pay them SCIUTTO Elizabeth ░░░░░░░░ thanks so much.”