Home Forums All Categories Non Invasive Bladder Cancer Looking for BCG

  • Looking for BCG

    Posted by Nibbles on July 2, 2020 at 2:14 am

    Hello,

    New to the forum. I was scheduled to begin the 6 bcg treatments this morning but when i arrived at my urologist’s office he said the medication is back-ordered until September. I’d rather not wait for obvious reasons (T1 non invasive)

    I’m going to call the larger cancer centers in the Miami area tomorrow morning. Do any of you have any other advice on locating a facility that has bcg?

    Thanks

    Jack R replied 4 years, 3 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • jack-r

    Member
    July 24, 2020 at 5:54 am

    Nibbles

    Sometimes you just have to accept that others don’t always take the extra steps to make things happen, and be your own problem solver. Good Going !

    I an somewhat surprised you had an email response. If you included an email address in your first post, it was likely redacted in the interest of spam and safety considerations. Expect to receive replies on the board, and allow some time for for a person with an answer or opinion to read questions. This board have been very helpful to me and many others.

    May the BCG produce positive results.

    Best
    Jack


    6/2015 HG Papillary & CIS
    3 Years and 30 BCG/BCG+Inf
    Tis CIS comes back.
    BC clear as of 5/17 !
    RCC found in my one & only kidney 10/17
    Begin Chemo; Cisplatin and Gemzar
    8/18 begin Chemo# 3
    Begin year 4 with cis
    2/19 Chemo #4
    9/19 NED again :)
    1/2020 CIS is back
    Tried Keytruda, stopped by side effects
    Workin on a new plan for 2021
  • Nibbles

    Member
    July 22, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    Thanks Jack, just saw this reply which wasn’t emailed to me as the first one was.

  • Nibbles

    Member
    July 22, 2020 at 3:46 pm

    I was hesitant posting in here because i was expecting this sort of generic answer. I called merck before posting and they offered no help or information.

    I ended up called every medical distributor in my area and found 6 doses of bcg that i was able to purchase and deliver to my doctor.

    Had i listened to either my doctor or merck I’d be sitting around waiting for backordered bcg until this winter ar best.

  • jack-r

    Member
    July 3, 2020 at 5:17 am

    Nibbles

    One possible path is to see if you qualify for a trial of BCG from a new to the US market supplier. If interested, the following will help you to start learning about clinical trials.

    With one supplier, there have been regular shortages. There were two suppliers up until about three years ago; even then, there were times of shortages.

    Trials are taking place with another provider of BCG with a history outside the US. The first two links provide information about the trials. The third link is to Moffett Hospital in Florida, ONE of many places taking part in the trial. The links are current as of today.

    Talk to your doctor, call and talk to Moffett, etc. The three links will offer more info and links. You can search the net, using terms such as Bladder Cancer BCG Tokyo Tokyo-172 Clinical Trials BCG Shortage

    https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03091660

    https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/search/v?id=NCI-2016-00451&r=1

    https://moffitt.org/clinical-trials-and-studies/clinical-trial-19695

    Best
    Jack


    6/2015 HG Papillary & CIS
    3 Years and 30 BCG/BCG+Inf
    Tis CIS comes back.
    BC clear as of 5/17 !
    RCC found in my one & only kidney 10/17
    Begin Chemo; Cisplatin and Gemzar
    8/18 begin Chemo# 3
    Begin year 4 with cis
    2/19 Chemo #4
    9/19 NED again :)
    1/2020 CIS is back
    Tried Keytruda, stopped by side effects
    Workin on a new plan for 2021
  • sara.anne

    Member
    July 3, 2020 at 12:50 am

    This has been an ongoing problem for several years now. At times is seems to be getting better and then it is scarce again. Here is the latest from the FDA

    BCG Live (Intravesical)
    TICE® BCG

    NDC Number:
    00052-0602-02

    50 mg lyophilized powder Organon Teknika, Corporation LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co, Inc.

    For questions, please call customer service at: 1-800-NSC-MERCK
    (1-800-672-6372) TICE® BCG, BCG Live (Intravesical) is currently available.

    In order to help manage inventory and to minimize disruption to patient care when demand exceeds production plans and available inventory product will be placed on allocation. Demand increase in the drug or biological product Because of increased global demand and as the only source of BCG Live (Intravesical) in the United States and many other countries, Merck anticipates supply constraints for TICE® BCG for the foreseeable future.

    To minimize disruption to patient care and address the current imbalance between supply and increased global demand TICE® BCG will be under allocation when demand exceeds production plans and available inventory.

    For questions, please call Merck customer service at:
    1-800-NSC-MERCK
    (1-800-672-6372)

    Or visit
    http://www.merck.com/product/
    oncology/home.htmlExternal Link Disclaimer Onset:January 2019

    Updated: December 2019

    Ongoing


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

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