phil_vardena

Dendreon's Provenge: Government Agencies Play Hide and Seek With Facts

The FDA chose not to approve Provenge, even though it was advised (on March 29, 2007) by its appointed panel of Oncologists, Urologists, and Immunologists, all experts in the fields of immunotherapy and oncology, that Provenge is unquestionably safe (100% of the experts voted yes on safety) and that there was “substantial evidence” of the drug’s effectiveness as required by FDA regulations (76% of the experts voted yes on substantial evidence of effectiveness).
Among the NOs, Dr. Sher and Dr. Hussain.

Provenge achieved a 200% increase in overall survival measured at 3 years… with multiple recipients alive and well over 6 years later.

27,000 men with end-stage prostate cancer will die needlessly early (some will die needlessly period) each year the Provenge is delayed by the FDA.

Certainly FDA has approved drugs against the recommendations of its advisory panel, but I am not aware of a decision to overrule a strong positive panel vote for a terminal illness that has no really acceptable treatment options. This decision would appear to be unprecedented, and calls for a full and open public statement of why the FDA disagrees with this panel and cannot make this drug available to terminal patients. We know of course it was not due to safety concerns. Also, if FDA found the clinical trial data submitted by Dendreon (Provenge producer company) to be insufficient, why did it even submit the data to a panel of experts for their opinions?

Some of those doctors that voted “NO” as to the effectiveness evidence even had letters (urging the FDA NOT to approve Provenge) “leaked” to the media. They were Dr. Sher and Dr. Hussain. I let you judge on the ethics of this behaviour.

On May 30, 2007, news was that Schering-Plough Corp. said it had agreed pay Novacea Inc. up to $440 million for rights to develop the smaller drugmaker’s prostate cancer treatment, causing Novacea shares to double.
Both Dr. Sher and Dr. Hussain are Novacea consultants.
Do you think Schering-Plough would have paid $60 million immediately and an additional $380 million to Novacea if Provenge was on the market?

Why the FDA - for the first time in its history - did not approve a drug deemed safe and effective by its own panel?
How is that Dr. Sher and Dr. Hussain - with their obvious and enormous conflicts of interest - took part in the panel?
Who did choose Dr. Sher and Dr. Hussain?

We already have proof that Provenge works (two phase III trials). Many people are going to die due to the delay. Who is accountable?
Why isn’t this revolutionary and extremely safe treatment available NOW?
I can’t imagine the motives are about monetary gains.