“Any protocol that involves cisplatin or carboplatin as part of a study is on hold because of the chemotherapy shortage,” Mark J. Ratain, MD, FASCO, Chief Hospital Pharmacologist, University of Chicago Medicine, said in an interview with The ASCO Post.
“Many times, our clinical trials are building on what is already standard of care,” added Christine M. Bestvina, MD, a medical thoracic oncologist and Assistant Professor at University of Chicago Medicine. Not having that available means many patients who otherwise would be on a trial, or are on a trial, are having their treatment affected, she added.
“In many trials, patients receive an experimental drug on top of the standard of care. So, patients may get a new drug that targets KRAS, for example, in addition to the chemotherapy they would otherwise get. When that backbone of the clinical trial regimen is not available, patients can’t get either the standard of care or the trial intervention, as was designed,” Dr. Bestvina explained.
“I do think this is going to set back clinical trials research in many realms, including lung cancer, for the duration of this chemotherapy shortage,” Dr. Bestvina stated. The chemotherapy shortage “is not just a disadvantage for patients now, but it is also a disadvantage to future patients for whom those trials would have informed care.”
DISCLOSURE: Dr. Ratain owns stock and has other ownership interests in SAB Biotherapeutics; has received honoraria from Emerson Lake Safety; has served as a consultant or advisor to Aptevo Therapeutics, Apotex, Genentech, Arvinas, Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Oncovalent Therapeutics, EQRx, Bluebird Bio, Bayer, Cantex Pharmaceuticals, Eagle Pharmaceuticals, and EMD Serono; and has received institutional research funding from AbbVie, Genentech/Roche, Xencor, Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Incyte. Dr. Bestvina has received institutional research funding from AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb; has served as an advisor or consultant to AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, CVS, Genentech, Janssen Biotech, Jazz, JNJ, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi, Seattle Genetics, and Takeda; and has served on a speakers bureau for Merck.
