Methrotrexate shortage anyone else effected.
 

Started this here but really don't think there is any theory but a fact a company is putting profits ahead of the public. Sure feels like extortion to me.

This drug is now a generic and seems to be not a high priority for the industry. Not when they can push more expensive drugs that are still proprietary in nature. The problem is that this drug and others works better then the new ones.
For some this particular drug is the only one that works, well there might be another but it is 20K a treatment and takes a year to find out if it will even work for sure. Where this is now hundreds of times cheaper and works good!


This is very close to home for a lot of us. Today it is this family of drugs, what will be next?




http://journals.lww.com/oncology-tim..._Raises.4.aspx


http://www.necn.com/02/13/12/Doctors...6f0174344d0fbb




Barney

Never heard of it. What is it for?

Dave

On NPR recently they discussed a drug, (The name escapes me at the moment), that was slated to be discontinued.......Until someone in the industry realized there was no viable replacement and that patients on this drug could not survive without it. Now, the industry is seeking federal subsidy for this drug as the production volume is so low it's impossible to turn a profit on it. It costs them a quite substantial amount of money to produce it.

Is this what you're referring to, Barney?

Dave

This is an older drug in the Chemo family. I have been using it since 84 weekly for a muscle disease, but people with Rheumatoid arthritis and leukemia also are users. Might be other uses just not up on all of them.


The shortage is now linked to a factory in Ohio IIRC that had "problems" with manufacturing the serum.

But other chemo drugs that are now generic have had similar problems with manufacturing. Seems the drug companies are not making enough of a profit so are creating a shortage to raise prices. Letting people suffer and maybe even die for a buck!



Barney

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...MN6E1NADVT.DTL

The two paragraphs prior to the last of this article might shed some light as to the reason for the shortage.

After reading about it's uses and side effects, I would like to offer my condolences if you or yours are required to take this medication.

Chas