Survey Reveals Ongoing Chemotherapy Drug Shortages

A survey by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Best Practices Committee, which features answers from around 30 of its member institutions around the U.S., has revealed that over 90% of centers in question suffer from chemotherapy drug shortages, and around 70% suffer from cisplatin deficiency.

Chemotherapy Drug Shortages and Treatment Effectiveness

• Platinum-based chemotherapies (carboplatin and cisplatin) are used to treat cancer with the intent to cure it.
• They are highly effective against various types of cancer, including leukemias, lymphomas, breast cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer.
• Approximately 500,000 new cancer patients per year receive treatment with carboplatin and cisplatin.
• The survey was conducted in May.
• All centers were able to treat patients needing cisplatin without delays or claim denials.
• Only 64% of the survey respondents could maintain all current carboplatin patients on the regimen.

Additionally, another 20% shared that they were only able to continue treatment for certain patients and not all of them. Overall, the need to re-obtain prior authorization for modified treatment plans has resulted in a delay for over 15% of patients, but none have thankfully suffered an outright rejection.

A statement issued by the NCCN has called for collective action from the Federal Government, pharmaceutical industry, providers, and payers to mitigate the problem. The Federal government has been advised to maintain a regulatory environment that ensures a steady supply of critical cancer drugs, while the pharmaceutical industry has been tasked with accepting the ethical and moral responsibility of the shortage. Industry production shortfalls, according to oncology chief Richard Pazdur, are partly to blame for the current predicament.

For providers, they must now judiciously utilize the medication that is available to them on the basis of efficacy, safety, and cost. The Food and Drug Administration has agreed to provide assistance where possible and has announced that it will allow cisplatin to be imported to the U.S. from Chinese manufacturer Qilu Pharmaceutical to fulfill unmet patient needs.

Moreover, after a third-party review and testing of its imported products, the agency will also allow India’s Intas Pharmaceuticals to resume shipping cisplatin, carboplatin, and 14 other injectables to the U.S. The firm has faced backlash in the past due to manufacturing deficiencies.

The survey not only revealed the extent of the current platinum chemotherapy shortage but also emphasized the need for collaboration within the oncology community to ensure high-quality, effective, fair, and accessible cancer care for all. Alyssa Schatz, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for NCCN, provided further clarification on this matter.