Rationing of Cancer Drugs Begins in Earnest

Alexandria, Virginia – Jim Martin, the Chairman of the national senior advocacy group 60 Plus Association, released the following statement regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to deny breast cancer patients access to the last-stage cancer drug Avastin.  The FDA decision to “de-label” the drug ensures that insurance companies and Medicare will drop coverage for the drug.  

STATEMENT OF JIM MARTIN

“The Food and Drug Administration’s decision to ‘de-label’ the drug Avastin will ration the drug from breast cancer patients and create a two-tiered system where the wealthy will have access to the life-extending drug and everyone else will be denied access.  This is wrong.

“The FDA’s decision is based on cost, pure and simple, and when you deny treatment based on cost it’s called rationing.  Do not be fooled by the rhetoric — this is a direct consequence of President Obama’s effort to ‘reduce the price of health care.’

“Denying treatment based upon the cost of the drugs opens the door to rationing of other drugs.  60 Plus urges the United States Congress to immediately overturn this decision and allow breast cancer patients access to the treatments they need.”

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