Comments on: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/useful-cancer-drug-where-cost-is.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:39:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: mcp92http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/useful-cancer-drug-where-cost-is.html#comment-59382 mcp92 Fri, 17 Feb 2006 01:57:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20043.html#comment-59382 The dose used for breast and lung cancer is double the dose used for colon cancer. The dose used for breast and lung cancer is double the dose used for colon cancer.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/useful-cancer-drug-where-cost-is.html#comment-59321 Anonymous Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:59:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20043.html#comment-59321 I'm not a medical oncologist.<br/><br/>Here's some data.<br/><br/>Dosage for Avastin for metastatic colorectal cancer is 5 mg/kg q14 days "until disease progression is detected," implyng that Avastin is given every two weeks without an end point. Probably because the patient has metastatic or stage 4 disease.<br/><br/>For a 165 lb. or 75 kg. patient this works out to 375 mg every 2 weeks or 9,750 mg/year.<br/><br/>Avastin is packaged in 100 mg vials so this 75 kg. patient would require 98 vials per year.<br/><br/>The quoted RETAIL price of 98 vials of Avastin at Drugstore.com is $60,638.<br/><br/>I would assume that Genentech would sell Avastin for a lesser wholesale price.<br/><br/>So by my calculations, the price of a year of Avastin for metastatic colorectal cancer should be less than half the price in this news story.<br/><br/>Maybe there's a different dosage for the off-label use for breast cancer.<br/><br/>Please correct me if my information is incorrect. I’m not a medical oncologist.

Here’s some data.

Dosage for Avastin for metastatic colorectal cancer is 5 mg/kg q14 days “until disease progression is detected,” implyng that Avastin is given every two weeks without an end point. Probably because the patient has metastatic or stage 4 disease.

For a 165 lb. or 75 kg. patient this works out to 375 mg every 2 weeks or 9,750 mg/year.

Avastin is packaged in 100 mg vials so this 75 kg. patient would require 98 vials per year.

The quoted RETAIL price of 98 vials of Avastin at Drugstore.com is $60,638.

I would assume that Genentech would sell Avastin for a lesser wholesale price.

So by my calculations, the price of a year of Avastin for metastatic colorectal cancer should be less than half the price in this news story.

Maybe there’s a different dosage for the off-label use for breast cancer.

Please correct me if my information is incorrect.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/useful-cancer-drug-where-cost-is.html#comment-59312 Anonymous Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:10:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20043.html#comment-59312 That doesn't surprise me they charge me nearly $24,000 a year for my hormone replacement. That doesn’t surprise me they charge me nearly $24,000 a year for my hormone replacement.

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