Robert Landfair, 76, was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer in 2018 and underwent several unsuccessful rounds of chemotherapy before his doctor recommended that he switch to Pluvicto, a new medication for advanced prostate cancer.
But the drug’s manufacturer, Novartis, has had supply problems. Landfair is now on a waitlist for the medication, which isn’t expected to be widely available for several more months.
“I definitely need that drug,” Landfair, of Chicago, said. “It’s the only way I see my life.”
Landfair’s not alone: A shortage of cancer medications has created dire circumstances for many patients diagnosed with the disease, forcing them — along with their doctors — to make difficult decisions.
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According to the Food and Drug Administration, there are four cancer drugs in shortage: Pluvicto, for advanced prostate cancer, as well as methotrexate, cisplatin and fluorouracil, common chemotherapy drugs used to treat a broad range of cancers from the skin to the bones and lungs. A fifth drug, a bladder cancer therapy called BCG, is also said to be in shortage, according to Dr. Vignesh Packiam, a urologist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
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