Cisplatin and carboplatin are out of stock. 21 other cancer drugs, and a total of 125 other drugs are also suffering from supply issues, and in worst cases, even Tylenol are also running dry on shelves. Due to Intas Pharmaceutical Limited’s internal problems, that doctors and pharmacists all across the US have to deal with preventable cancer deaths.
The drug manufacturing plant, Intas Pharmaceutical Limited, produces more than half of the US’ supply of cisplatin and carboplatin, two crucial drugs for curing all sorts of cancers. During inspections from Nov. 22nd to Dec. 2nd, an inspector from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration noticed what seemed to be hundreds of trash bags filled to the brim with all sorts of shredded documents. These documents noted mostly quality control errors, along with other manufacturing errors and problems.
. Manufactured overseas, these drugs usually sell for a loss on the market. This is why name-brand companies are shifting the focus to more profitable drugs that sell for high prices, instead of manufacturing cheap cisplatin and carboplatin-that sell for around $6 a dose.
The company located in India, Intas Pharmaceutical Limited, has been shut down due to quality control concerns, and the FDA are now shifting to another company based in China. If this problem isn’t solved immediately, people could die if the drug continues be in short supply. Doctors are changing to other untested low ratios of different drugs, to ensure that the patients don’t die during shortages, despite all the high stakes. Results from a survey show that over 93% pf hospitals and other treatment centers lacked cisplatin, and 70% lacked carboplatin.
At this point, there is a high toll for low-cost drugs, and all because of the flaw that the general pharmaceutical market has. Non-federal companies are now producing more expensive drugs to increase income, and the run-down poor companies can’t afford neatly hauling out such big shipments of cheap products. According to Allan Coukell, senior vice president for public policy at Civica Rx, “At a certain point the system need to recognize there’s a high cost to low-cost drugs.”
The drug manufacturing plant, Intas Pharmaceutical Limited, produces more than half of the US’ supply of cisplatin and carboplatin, two crucial drugs for curing all sorts of cancers. During inspections from Nov. 22nd to Dec. 2nd, an inspector from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration noticed what seemed to be hundreds of trash bags filled to the brim with all sorts of shredded documents. These documents noted mostly quality control errors, along with other manufacturing errors and problems.
. Manufactured overseas, these drugs usually sell for a loss on the market. This is why name-brand companies are shifting the focus to more profitable drugs that sell for high prices, instead of manufacturing cheap cisplatin and carboplatin-that sell for around $6 a dose.
The company located in India, Intas Pharmaceutical Limited, has been shut down due to quality control concerns, and the FDA are now shifting to another company based in China. If this problem isn’t solved immediately, people could die if the drug continues be in short supply. Doctors are changing to other untested low ratios of different drugs, to ensure that the patients don’t die during shortages, despite all the high stakes. Results from a survey show that over 93% pf hospitals and other treatment centers lacked cisplatin, and 70% lacked carboplatin.
At this point, there is a high toll for low-cost drugs, and all because of the flaw that the general pharmaceutical market has. Non-federal companies are now producing more expensive drugs to increase income, and the run-down poor companies can’t afford neatly hauling out such big shipments of cheap products. According to Allan Coukell, senior vice president for public policy at Civica Rx, “At a certain point the system need to recognize there’s a high cost to low-cost drugs.”
