The high cost of a breast cancer drug - Essay Example

The High Cost of a Breast Cancer Drug Introduction: Breast cancer is a devastating disease that affects many women, with a high risk of mortality. (1). Chemotherapy involves the use of chemical agents or drugs in the treatment of breast cancer and it is commonly employed in the treatment of breast cancer. (2). The use of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer is expensive, because of the high cost of breast cancer drugs. High Cost of Breast Cancer Drugs: Tykerb (lapatinib) of GlaxoSmithKline PLC is a recent introduction to the drugs used in the treatment of breast cancer.

Tykerb is an expensive drug with the monthly expense involved in its use being $ 2,900. (3). Evidence from studies show that the essential benefit derived from Tykerb is that it doubles the time required for the progression of the disease. What this means is that women pay a high price for delaying the progress of the disease by a few months, with no hope of a cure. (4). This high cost of drug therapy for women with breast cancer repeats itself as we examine another recent drug introduction for the treatment of breast cancer.

The drug Avastin has been in use in the treatment of some other forms of cancer, and has recently received FDA approval for its use in the treatment of breast cancer. Through this approval it is estimated that its use would increase involving about 43,000 women found suitable for its use. These women are however going to pay a high cost for this treatment. The annual cost involved in the use of Avastin would be to the tune of $ 92,000. Women with an annual family income would have to pay $ 55,000 for the Avastin drug regimen for a year.

The pharmaceutical company involved Genentech makes the oft repeated claim in support of high cost of drugs and that is the recovery of investment in research for the drug. If drug treatment of breast cancer is to be so expensive, then many women are going to be denied the benefits of drug development for the treatment of breast cancer. (5). The use of Avastin in the treatment of breast cancer virtually means an escalation in cost by as much as four times the other adjuvant drug treatments. This is an example of the enhanced costs of the newer drugs that are coming into the market for the treatment of breast cancer.

Limited finances available for spending on the treatment of breast cancer in women, which means that with the high costs of drugs in the treatment of breast cancer many women are going to be denied the benefits of drug therapy in the treatment of cancer. Patients denied the treatment will simply have to be told they cannot be given the better drugs, useful in the treatment of breast cancer, simply because they cannot afford the high costs of these drugs and would gave to do without it. (6). Conclusion: High drug costs are involved in the use of chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Works Cited1. “Annual Report to the Nation Finds Cancer Incidence and Death Rates on the Decline: Survival Rates Show Significant Improvement”. NIH News. 2004. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 14 March, 2008. .2. “Breast Cancer”. Health Guide. 2007. The New York Times. 14 March, 2008. .3. “Tykerb Approved Treatment Of Breast Cancer”. 2007. TAUME. 14 March, 2008. .4. Phend, Crystal. “ Tykerb Plus Chemotherapy Slows Advance of Metastatic Breast Cancer”. 2006. medpage TODAY.

14 March, 2008. .5. “The High Cost of a Cancer Drug “. 2008. The New York Times. 14 March, 2008. .6. Chustecka, Zosia. “Extended Approval of Herceptin Welcomed by US Experts, but UK Physicians Remain Concerned About Cost”. Medscape News. 2006. Medscape Today. 14 March, 2008. .