On Jan 25, 2023, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism published devastating evidence that at least 70000 children with cancer in 90 countries globally are at risk of being treated with contaminated and low-quality asparaginase, a chemotherapeutic drug used mostly in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The investigation showed that at least seven manufacturers continue to sell their products despite being warned that they do not meet minimum quality assurance. Indeed, many brands fall well below the therapeutic standards needed to treat cancer and some have been found to contain potentially harmful contaminants, such as bacteria. Although concern over the activity of this drug and its biosimilars has been ongoing for many years, this new report highlights that poor regulation and oversight continues to cultivate a market for dangerous generic products to flourish, and little is being done to protect children, particularly in poorer countries.
“As countries struggle to adequately fund their health services during the global cost of living crisis, an incentivized environment to seek out cheap generic alternatives to maintain treatments for patients is inevitable. But price should not be the only consideration; rigorously enforced standards that ensure safe treatments are equally, if not more, important. Better safeguards are clearly needed to prevent the harm being done globally to many children with cancer.”1
Read more here.
References
- Oncology, N. L. (2023b). Quality control and childhood cancer medicines. Lancet Oncology, 24(3), 195. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1470-2045(23)00068-2
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