Canadian shortage of vital bladder cancer drug prompts rationing

Canada is experiencing a serious shortage of an essential drug for the treatment of bladder cancer. The shortfall, which is due to manufacturing problems at plants operated by two different pharmaceutical companies, could have major consequences for patients. “We’re struggling with how to ration our stock,” Neil Fleshner, head of urology at University Health Network in Toronto, said in an interview. The principal supplier of BCG for bladder cancer treatment is Merck Canada Inc., which sells it under the brand name OncoTICE. Ani Armenian, a spokesperson for the company, said the shortage is due to manufacturing problems at a company plant in Durham, N.C., that are not directly related to the drug. Read more here.