New drug will treat most common type of skin cancer
The FDA approved a pill to treat basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. The drug, called Erivedge, will be an option for adult patients with advanced cancer, who can't be treated with surgery or radiation, or whose cancer has spread.
According to the FDA -- which fast-tracked the process because there were no other approved treatments for the cancer -- Erivedge works by inhibiting the hedgehog pathway, a molecular route through cells that is active in basal-cell cancers.
The drug will be available within two weeks, but at a high price: A prescription course of daily Erivedge pills, produced by pharmaceutical giant Roche, is expected to cost about $7,500 per month.
If you needed Erivedge, could you afford it?
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Mike Gallagher
Freelance writer with a passion for travelling
