Opinion: Drug shortages jeopardize the lives of children with cancer
Alice, a preteen with newly diagnosed leukemia, and her parents were understandably distraught when she was diagnosed with cancer. As I sat down to discuss treatment options with Alice’s parents, I was glad I had something positive to share with them: A recent clinical trial showed that adding the drug nelarabine to standard chemotherapy led to a significant improvement in survival for children with Alice’s form of leukemia.
Unfortunately, a national shortage of nelarabine meant that for Alice — I’ve used a pseudonym — the chances for a cure were suddenly less clear.
Approximately 85 percent of children with cancer in the United States are cured of their disease. This success rate isn’t due to new or cutting-edge medicines, but to decades-old and off-patent drugs for which
