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The Food and Drug Administration faces an escalating shortage of cancer drugs with limited authority to address the crisis.
At least 14 cancer drugs are in critically short supply across the U.S. right now. The shortage is putting patient’s lives at risk and forcing some hospitals to ration the medication.
Hospitals across the U.S. told CNBC shortages of cisplatin and carboplatin are particularly concerning because they are so widely used for so many different types of cancer.
The FDA doesn’t have the power to force companies to increase production or change distribution. But the agency is allowing the temporary importation of unapproved cancer drugs from overseas to ease the shortage.
The FDA has authorized a Chinese manufacturer to ship unapproved cisplatin into the U.S. It’s unclear whether these temporary imports can meet patient demand.
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to me at spencer.kimball@nbcuni.com.
