For the second straight Sunday, the New York Times has published a terrific piece in its "Evidence Gap" series. This one, about the cancer drug Avastin, is headlined "Costly Cancer Drug Offers Hope, but Also a Dilemma." Excerpt:
"..like a half-dozen or so new biotechnology drugs with a similar combination — alluring promise, high price and only arguable benefits — Avastin raises troubling questions:What does it mean to say an expensive drug works? Is slowing the growth of tumors enough if life is not significantly prolonged or improved? How much evidence must there be before billions of dollars are spent on a drug? Who decides? When, if ever, should cost come into the equation?"
Incidentally, readers of the Star Tribune may have thought they read the piece in Sunday's Star Tribune. They did not. They read a scant 754 words out of the original 4,500-word story published by the New York Times.
Why?
Not enough space? Not hardly.
Too much of importance going on over the July 4th weekend? Not hardly - and not by any reflection of what else was in the Strib today.
Posted by schwitz at July 6, 2008 05:17 PM | TrackBackIt's great to see this drug being approved for other cancers other than colorectal cancer. I am wondering however if there will be any eventual approval to treat wet macular degeneration.
Posted by: Barry Wheeler at July 29, 2008 06:23 PM