Home › Forums › All Categories › Non Invasive Bladder Cancer › BCG shortage article

  • Alan's avatar

    Alan

    Member
    September 28, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    Looks like the alternative to BCG is becoming a closer reality: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/telesta-announces-fda-advisory-committee-110000827.html

    DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.
  • Alan's avatar

    Alan

    Member
    June 30, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    You can bet it won’t be cheap!

    DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.
  • sara.anne's avatar

    sara.anne

    Member
    June 30, 2015 at 4:15 pm

    Alan, that is fascinating!! I do hope it pans out. If it is indeed what it sounds like, and safer in administration than BCG, I can see it replacing BCG eventually, instead of being for those who “fail” BCG.

    My only worry is…what will the cost be? So many of these new drugs are beyond reasonable in cost. That Hep C cure (and it apparently IS a cure) that we see advertised on TV all the time costs $94,000 for a 12 week supply in the US!!

    Sara Anne

    Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
    BCG; BCG maintenance
    Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
    Forum Moderator
  • Alan's avatar

    Alan

    Member
    June 30, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    The alternative for BCG may be coming before the end of the year. By posting I am in no way advocating this company’s stock but FYI, the FDA filing appears to be complete.

    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/telesta-therapeutics-submits-biologics-license-110000622.html

    DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.
  • sara.anne's avatar

    sara.anne

    Member
    June 1, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    Alan, that is an excellent summary of what is going on! I hate to say it, but I suspect that an important part of the reason for the shortage is stated in the article:

    “BCG, a liquid delivered into a patient’s bladder, is expensive to manufacture because it is derived from live bacteria. Yet because the therapy is 25 years old and no longer protected by patent, it fetches only about $145 a vial, compared with about $2,700 for a vial of Avastin, a newer, patented drug for other forms of cancer that hasn’t had shortage issues.”

    Guess I am just a cynic!!

    SA

    Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
    BCG; BCG maintenance
    Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
    Forum Moderator

Sign In to reply.