Prostate drug debate: What’s it worth to stay alive a few more months?

WASHINGTON EXAMINER.COM:  Here’s a well-written article on the current US debate about how much a life is worth – more specifically, how much the government Medicare scheme and health insurers pay out for cancer drugs that prolong life for a few months. READ MORE>

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Provenge approval expected to rejuvenate cancer vaccine industry

MARKETWIRE:  The approval of Dendreon’s prostate cancer vaccine Provenge in April was a boon for a nascent cancer vaccine industry that had suffered several setbacks, and should lead to an influx of market opportunities and a surge in regulatory activity. READ MORE>

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Jury still out on how long immuno-therapeutic drugs like Provenge can prolong life

KANSASCITY.COM:  Researchers can cite anecdotes of cancer patients given months to live who have survived 15 years or longer after receiving vaccines, but so far conclusive evidence from large clinical trials is scant. READ MORE>

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Prostate cancer drug Provenge finally starts earning money for its maker

WALL ST JOURNAL: New wonder drug for treating advanced prostate cancer, Provenge, is finally making money for its manufacturer, Dendreon Corp. READ MORE>

Since the $93,000 treatment was launched at the beginning of May, doctors have written 500 prescriptions for the treatment, the company disclosed.

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Provenge extends prostate patients’ lives about four months – at a cost of $130,000

ABC NEWS: The new US wonder drug for treating advanced prostate cancer – Provenge – extends life about four months – at a cost of $NZ130,000 ($US93,000).

The makers say it took 15 years to develop, at a cost of $US1.2 billion. READ MORE> and MORE>

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New Provenge treatment for advanced prostate cancer faces another hurdle

WALL ST JOURNAL: The US government says it will begin analysis on whether the Dendreon company’s expensive immunotherapy treatment for prostate cancer – Provenge – is “reasonable and necessary.” READ MORE> (you need to subscribe)

The answer to that debate – the latest hurdle in Dendreon’s push to get Provenge used – will affect sales of the costly treatment.

If the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services covers it, that would increase the number of patients eligible and likely prompt private insurers to do the same. A denial by CMS could severely stifle the product’s growth.

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Year-long wait for Provenge in US hospitals

BLOOMBERG: Prostate cancer patients seeking Dendreon Corp’s new tumour-fighting vaccine, Provenge, face delays of a year or more as hospital waiting lists dwarf the company’s capacity to produce medicine. READ MORE>

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