Cancer Drugs

Sunday, May. 20, 2001

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What's Available Now

HERCEPTIN
Action: Antigrowth
Target cancer: Breast cancer
Manufacturer: Genentech
Side effects: Fever and chills; in rare cases, heart problems and potentially fatal allergic reactions
Cost: About $700 for a week's worth of injections. In clinical trials, the median time on Herceptin was 36 weeks.
Total cost: $25,000

RITUXAN
Action: Targeted cell destruction
Target cancer: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Manufacturer: Genentech/IDEC
Side effects: Fever and chills; in rare cases, low blood pressure and potentially fatal allergic reactions
Cost: $10,000 for the full four-week treatment. Retreatment is possible for relapse.
Total cost: $10,000-$20,000

CAMPATH
Action: Targeted cell destruction
Target cancer: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Manufacturer: Millennium/Ilex
Side effects: Fever and chills, infections
and sometimes severe anemia; in rare cases, potentially fatal allergic reactions
Cost: A pricing plan has not yet been released for the infusions, which are delivered three times a week for as long as 12 weeks

GLEEVEC
Action: Antigrowth
Target cancer: Chronic myeloid leukemia
Manufacturer: Novartis
Side effects: Swelling, cramps, nausea and in some cases severe anemia. It's too early for researchers to determine whether there are long-term safety problems
Cost: $2,400 for a month's worth. No one is sure, but treatment could be three years to a lifetime.
Total cost: $86,000

Drugs In The Pipeline

Of the 402 experimental cancer treatments listed on the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America website (phrma.org), many are traditional chemotherapy agents. But a growing number are part of the new breed. Here are a few of them:

head and neck
Tarceva Antigrowth agent
(Genentech/OSI/Roche)

lymph system
Bexxar Delivers a dose of radiation directly to cancer cells
(Corixa/GlaxoSmithKLine)

lungs
Iressa Antigrowth agent
(AstraZeneca)
GVAX Immune-system booster
(Cell Genesys)
Neovastat Antiangiogenesis agent
(AEterna)

pancreas
Virulizin Immune-system booster
(Lorus Therapeutics)

colon
celecoxib May act to prevent cancer
(Pharmacia/Pfizer)
semaxanib Antiangiogenesis
(Pharmacia/SUGEN)
IMC-C225 Antigrowth agent
(ImClone Systems)

skin
Genasense Triggers cell suicide
(Genta)