28 cancer medications in dangerously short supply

Thousands of children with leukemia count on a particular drug to survive. But supplies are running dangerously low. In many cases, doctors have enough for only three weeks. CBS News correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook looked into what's behind the shortage -- and what's being done about it.

Even though 8-month-old Elena Schoneveld was diagnosed with leukemia, her devastated parents were hopeful.

"The fact of the matter is it's curable," her father Mark Schoneveld explained. "There are a lot of cancers that are not curable. So, in regards to leukemia, we feel -- in a weird way -- lucky that they have a track record of curing it."

The cure depends on a cocktail of chemotherapy drugs. But, one of the crucial medications, methotrexate, is running out.

"Children will die because they can't get methotrexate," Dr. Jon Maris said. He is the chief of oncology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where Elena Schoneveld is being treated.

Maris explained that methotrexate is a lifesaving drug and a known curative agent when injected into the bloodstream. It is one of the main medications credited with preventing leukemia cells from infiltrating the spinal fluid.

However, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia only has two months supply of the medication left, and children usually take it for three years.

It's not just methotrexate that's running out. Twenty-eight cancer drugs taken by more than 550,000 patients are in short supply.

One of the main problems is that companies have a a smaller profit margin because many of these cancer-fighting drugs have become generic. Fewer suppliers are interested in making the drug, including the largest manufacturer of methotrexate, which shut down its plant last fall.

A year ago, the first of three congressional bills was introduced to give the FDA more power to deal with the drug shortage crisis. So far, neither the house nor the senate has brought a bill to the floor.

"This is a real, real crisis," Maris said.

"Unless something dramatic changes in the next few weeks, myself and other physicians and nurses on this very unit will have to look parents in the eyes and say we don't have methotrexate and the substitute is not as good. And, I am sorry," he added.

That's not what parents like the Schonevelds want to hear.

"We didn't choose this battle but here we are, we need to win it," Mark Schoneveld said. "There's really no other option. We have to win the battle."

[gburgessx7]

Could you give us some specific examples please?

[onionqueen]

Geez guys, this story wouldn't pass Journalism 101. First the Feds closed 1 of the companies down: was it legit or political? When the company said we can't make money with the new regs, did they notify the other companies to ramp up production? Why are the companies not raising the price if they can't make money? Supply and demand would say that someone would start producing unless the price is fixed by the feds. Full story please, not sob story.

[snewsom2997]

Welcome to yet another unintended consequences, of socialized medicine. If no one is willing to actually pay for these drugs they will not get produced. Resources take money so what you create from the resources must be sold for money, and that price must exceed the cost of production and the cost of R&D for the drug itself and the other 99 drugs that failed before they got to this one.

[gburgessx7]

So how does this specific problem relates to socialized medicine?

[any12345]

You Must Read This ! Pharmaceutical industry !!
Any White 02. 14. 2012
Big pharmaceutical corporations are with intensive advertising often selling us pills, medical products and medical devices, which we often don't need. Just look which companies are advertising the most on TV. That are usually pharmaceutical corporations or big medical companies.

Research has shown that almost every third ad on TV is for advertising medical products, pills and medical devices.
The bad side of this is that people buy medical products, which ad we can see on TV too often. But they do not look for other medical products, pills... so they don't buy products that are made by smaller companies.
Pills, medical products and devices that sell those smaller companies are usually better quality and they have better health effects. But buyers don't know them or don't look for them, because those companies don't have or don't spend so much money on advertising.

Let s look at the example for hemorrhoids.
We can find the same products for hemorrhoids like Hemorrhoidal Ointment or Hemorrhoidal Cream in all the big shops (CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Publix, Target etc.)
And for those pills we see ads every day on TV.
But the fact is that all those products for internal and external hemmorhoids etc. don't get rid of the problems., that are caused by hemorrhoids. All of the cremes and other products that can be bought in those stores don't even help. They just reduce some of the pain.

Now lets look at Fullstoppain Stop Hemorrhoid, that is selling by a small medical company and is also available in some pharmacies (Germany, Switzerland) and is on sale on www.fullstoppain.com
This is the only product that doesn't just relief pain but it actually reduce hemorrhoids. It is so simple!
It also has the certificate of quality. In European union it is one of the best products for hemorrhoids.

But since people are believing in ads on TV so much they don't look for other products such as this.
And how can a buyer buy this Fullstoppain Stop Hemorrhoid product if the company isn't advertising it so much in the USA? We can find it on www.fullstoppain.com and in some pharmacies in United States.
Today we can get all the informations through the internet.
People should, before they decide to buy a product, look on the internet about the different treatments of that disease. They shouldn't just bought the products that often sell products with lower quality, which they replace with a lot of advertising.

[Larnan5]

It has nothing to do with Obama care it caused by corporate greed. profits over people.

[MsGriot]

I sent this letter to my Representative, feel free to cut and paste and send to yours also, our children need us to speak and act for them!

Dear Representative Carnahan, I am writing to insist that you do all you can to get an immediate vote and passage of the bill introduced by Rep. Carney that will fix the prescription medication shortage hospitals are facing. The need for this fix is urgent as it will facilitate the availability of cancer drugs to children and adults nationwide. I am particularly concerned about children with cancer receiving the drugs they need to save their lives. There is only a two-month supply available for some. I expect that you and your colleagues will act swiftly to save their lives. Thank you.

[mikeonthebay]

Just a start of the unintended consequences of "Obamacare".Punish the achievers and take out any motivation to produce. Shortages are ALWAYS the result of Marxist intervention!!!.

[Larnan5]

It has nothing to do with Obama care it caused by corporate greed. profits over people.

[Jesse_engAmer]

How many drug shortages have we seen in recent years? The frequency of drug shortages is increasing. FDA overregulation plays a huge role in reducing such a serious occurrence.

For information on the The Drug Shortage Prevention Act check out this great article by Eve Tahmincioglu: http://******/wKzrBy

[vielmann]

This is by no means accidental. It is done to increase profits by creating demand.

[omega39-2009]

A year ago, the first of three congressional bills was introduced to give the FDA more power to deal with the drug shortage crisis. So far, neither the house nor the senate has brought a bill to the floor.
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Strange, they had no problem trying to fast-track SOPA at the behest of the MPAA and RIAA. Of course, this would only extend lives not bottom lines of corporations.