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Cancer Drug Prices: A Financial Nightmare
19 Oct
Summary
- Cancer patient faces exorbitant drug costs for treatment.
- A single injection costs over Rs 5 lakh, subsequent doses over Rs 2 lakh.
- Patient has paid over Rs 35 lakh, with funds nearly exhausted.
Cancer patients frequently confront not only the disease but also the prohibitive cost of essential medications, rendering treatment unaffordable and out of reach. Six months ago, Surekha Panicker, a retired professional from Kerala, was diagnosed with stage-2 breast cancer.
Her prescribed immunotherapy, Roche's Phesgo injection, was initially priced at Rs 5 lakh for the first loading dose and over Rs 2 lakh for subsequent ones. A patient assistance program offered a buy-one-get-one deal for eight cycles.
However, a severe bacterial infection interrupted her treatment, causing her to miss the offer's deadline. She has since paid over Rs 35 lakh for infection treatment, surgery, remaining cycles, and hospital fees, severely depleting her savings and leaving her uncertain about future treatment costs.
