Join the 'Gleevec' group to help and get support from people like you.
Gleevec News
Generic Drugs Don't Always Push Prices Down
Posted 7 May 2018 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 7, 2018 – Generic drugs tend to trigger big drops in the cost of their expensive, brand-name counterparts, but that has not been the case with the cancer drug commonly known as Gleevec (imatinib). There's been only a small drop in the price of imatinib since a generic version was introduced to compete with Gleevec, a new study finds. Gleevec is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia. ...
Do Rising Cancer Drug Prices Warrant Regulation?
Posted 1 Nov 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1, 2017 – Cancer drug prices in the United States keep rising steadily, a new study says. "Regardless of competition or supplemental indications, our study found that there is a steady increase in costs of patented anticancer drugs over time," wrote the researchers. They included Dan Greenberg, an associate professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. "We believe ...
Speed Up the 'Cancer Moonshot,' Doctors Urge
Posted 1 Nov 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Oct. 31, 2017 – The Cancer Moonshot Initiative now has a detailed road map designed to cram a decade's worth of medical advancement into half that time. A new report, authored by more than 50 leading U.S. cancer doctors, highlights 13 priority areas for improving the medical response to cancer, along with measurable goals and a specific timeline for meeting each of those objectives. The ...
Many Cancer Patients Skimp on Treatment Due to Cost
Posted 24 Oct 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Oct. 24, 2017 – The high cost of cancer care in the United States has led more than one-quarter of patients to cut back on some part of their treatment, a new survey reveals. Commissioned by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the report found that 27 percent of cancer survivors or close relatives of a cancer patient said they'd skipped doctor visits or taken other steps ...
Treatment Costs Can Be Another Blow to Cancer Patients
Posted 27 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, July 27, 2017 – The emotional and physical costs of cancer can be staggering. But the financial side of cancer is also a great burden, with many patients in the United States struggling to pay for treatment, new research reveals. "The current health law has greatly improved access to meaningful health coverage for cancer patients, survivors and all those with chronic diseases," Chris ...
More Patients OK'd for Cancer Trials Under Obamacare: Study
Posted 20 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, July 20, 2017 – The Affordable Care Act has enabled more privately insured patients to enroll in clinical trials for new cancer treatments, a new study contends. Speedy approvals are important for patients who want to participate in clinical trials, said study author Dr. David Hong. He's deputy chair of investigational cancer therapeutics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer ...
Doctors' Group Offers Ideas for Easing Cancer Costs
Posted 19 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, July 19, 2017 – New cancer drugs routinely cost $100,000 a year or more, and older cancer drugs are rising in price, too. Now, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has some suggestions for easing patients' money woes. The proposals include allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, legalizing the importation of drugs, and adopting bundled, or group, payment programs. In ...
Most Breast Cancer Patients Have Help Choosing Treatments
Posted 10 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 10, 2017 – Most women who've been diagnosed with breast cancer don't go it alone. Many breast cancer patients depend on family and friends to help them make treatment decisions, get to doctor appointments and seek out other resources. A new study finds half of women rely on three or more people to help them through it. "People just diagnosed with cancer are often scared and ...
FDA Widens Access to 'Cooling Cap' to Stop Hair Loss in Cancer Patients
Posted 5 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, July 5, 2017 – More cancer patients may be able to ward off hair loss during chemotherapy treatment. A cooling cap approved in 2015 for use in breast cancer patients has won expanded approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The DigniCap Cooling System can now be used for patients with solid tumors, the FDA announced. The computer-controlled cap contains liquid that ...
Publicly Funded Cancer Trials Gained Americans 3 Million More Years
Posted 6 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, June 6, 2017 – Public-funded trials have significantly extended the lives of people diagnosed with cancer, according to new research. SWOG, the clinical trials network funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), has involved more than 200,000 patient volunteers. These trials have led to approval of 14 new cancer drugs and more than 100 changes to cancer care standards. All told, ...
Could Cancer Drug Gleevec Help With Severe Asthma?
Posted 19 May 2017 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, May 19, 2017 – A leukemia drug might also effectively treat severe asthma, a small-scale clinical trial suggests. Gleevec (imatinib) reduced the "twitchiness" of airways, making them less likely to reflexively constrict when exposed to an allergen or asthma trigger, said senior researcher Dr. Elliot Israel. "We showed we could decrease the amount of airway twitchiness by a third," Israel ...
Gleevec Keeps a Leukemia in Check for More Than a Decade: Study
Posted 9 Mar 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 – The cancer drug Gleevec appears to keep chronic myeloid leukemia at bay a decade into treatment – with no signs of additional safety risks, a new study finds. Gleevec – known generically as imatinib – was hailed as a "wonder drug" when it was introduced in 2001 for treating chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). CML is a type of blood cancer that strikes about 5,000 ...
Cancer's Heavy Financial Burden
Posted 8 Jun 2016 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, June 8, 2016 – Many cancer patients can't afford to see their doctor or take the medications they've been prescribed, a new study finds. And the problem will likely only get worse as the cost of cancer treatments continues to rise, the study authors said. "You can prescribe the best drug in the world, but if patients can't afford it and they can't get it, then it won't be effective," ...
U.S. Pays Highest Prices for Cancer Meds: Study
Posted 6 Jun 2016 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 6, 2016 – The United States pays the highest prices in the world for generic and brand-name cancer drugs, a new study has found. However, as the world's wealthiest nation, the United States is better able to pay for those pricey drugs than poorer countries with somewhat lower medication prices, added study lead author Dr. Daniel Goldstein. People in China and India are much less ...
'Precision' Cancer Treatment May Extend Lives
Posted 20 May 2016 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, May 19, 2016 – "Precision" cancer treatment that's guided by genetic clues from the patient's own tumor appears to outperform traditional chemotherapy, a new research review finds. Patients given precision – or personalized – treatment experienced a tumor shrinkage rate six times that attained by regular chemotherapy. But, that only happened if doctors used genetic information to ...
Further Information
Related Condition Support Groups
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor, Chronic Eosinophilic Leukemia, Myeloproliferative Disorders, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans, Hypereosinophilic Syndrome, Myelodysplastic Diseases, Systemic Mastocytosis
