Oct 30, 2009 7:25 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Biologics & Cancer
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
For 83-year-old Sylvia Goldberg, some subtle symptoms that came from her diet lead to a diagnosis of stage-4 colon cancer.
"Food that I always liked and always agreed with me wasn't agreeing with me and I wasn't sleeping well," she told CBS 2.
Nearly two years after discovering what was wrong though, she's still going strong.
"I feel good," she said.
After surgery and radiation, Goldberg was started on a drug called "Avastin." It's part of a new group of drugs known as "biologics." The drugs are produced by living organisms and specifically target human proteins involved in cancer. This means they're easier on the system than traditional chemotherapy.
"The classic side effects that we associated with chemotherapy – hair loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue – are fairly conspicuously or noticeably with these new biologic drugs," said Dr. Peter Kozuch of Beth Israel Hospital.
And the drugs are not just for colon cancer. Recent studies have shown their effectiveness in leukemia, lung and breast cancer, and autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis. Just a few years ago, biologics were virtually unheard of, but today they make up almost 25 percent of all new drugs approved by the FDA.
"So the quality of her in life has greatly improved from what it was after the radiation," said Geri Brin, Goldberg's niece. "I would attribute it absolutely to this drug."
In the case of colon cancer, the drug works by cutting off the blood supply to the tumor, slowing the growth and in some cases reversing the illness completely.
But the drugs are not cheap. One year of Avastin, for instance, can cost upwards of $100,000. Oncologist Dr. Peter Kozuch said some insurances cover the treatments, but the cost can still become an issue.
"If the patient has a significant co-pay we have to have a very frank discussion about financial impact," he said.
And there can be side effects, including high blood pressure, strokes, and intestinal problems. But for Goldberg, it's been smooth sailing.
"I have absolutely no effects, it doesn't bother me at all," said Goldberg.
The biologic drugs are currently part of the health care debate. Consumer health organizations would like to see generic versions of the drugs offered soon. If generics were available, it could save Medicare and Medicaid $9 billion over the next 10 years.
In the United States, the inventor of a drug is given an exclusive patent for 20 years. After that, any pharmaceutical company can use the formula and manufacture it.
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