Obama Admin Forces FDA to Formally Revoke Approval of Most Successful Cancer Drug in History to Save Money for Obamacare
Nov 21, 2011 11 Comments ›› Toro520
Though the media has been attempting to spin this story as if it were a new development, it is anything but; try as they might, the Left played their cards long ago…long before any supposed claims regarding concerns of the safety and efficacy of the drug – It has been over a year since the FDA was first instructed to revoke approval of Avastin – not because of its effectiveness, but because of its cost Initial reports make no mention of concerns regarding safety and efficacy; safety and efficacy – the sole standards in which the FDA is to cast judgement – never cost to customers. The FDA claims that Avastin has “negligible” positive effects, and that its statistically “negligible” negative side effects are more concerning. Despite several independent clinical investigations proving that the drug delays tumor growth between 30% and 50% above chemotherapy alone.
A suspicious individual might find it questionable that efficacy and safety only became a concern after the Avastin controversy came to the public’s attention; or that reports of “dangers” and “concerns” are suddenly and drastically being revised after the decision to revoke the drug had been made; or that Avastin is still approved for other (cheaper and less fatal) forms of cancer…
…or that generic competitors, who are heavily favored by the Obama administration over “big bad eeevvviiilll pharmaceutical companies who drastically reduced political contributions since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, will be favored by the US government to continue to manufacture and distribute the drug (generic name, “bevacizumab”) for breast cancer treatment without having to jump through the hoops of a massive FDA circus trial, all the while being covered by insurance plan – Never mind the fact that these companies were not required to invest massive amounts of time and money in Research & Development…
…but then again, we always knew that was the plan; like any dictator worth his weight in salt, Obama “just so happens” to have a benevolent solution to the very problems he helped initiate.
A ruling by the Food and Drug Administration Friday has banned the use of the drug Avastin in breast cancer patients because of a lack of proof that it extends their lives, while causing dangerous side effects.
Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing health editor of FoxNews.com, said that even though the ruling was expected, it will disappoint many physicians as well as patients.
“Clearly by not allowing the use of Avastin for breast cancer you are limiting the options patients have for treatment which will affect the lives of many women,” he said.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg called the decision difficult but said patients must have confidence that drugs sold for their condition are effective.
“It’s true that Avastin has its limitations for breast cancer,” Alvarez said. “Some of the side effects can be fatal, like GI perforation and GI bleeding—these need to be considered.”
Avastin won’t stop selling, as it’s also used to treat colon cancer and certain other tumors, but the FDA ruling is expected to influence insurance coverage. Medicare says it will continue to cover Avastin while it evaluates whether a change is needed.
“This ruling shows that there is a long way to go to find effective treatments,” Alvarez said.
