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lostincalifornia

(3,990 posts)
Wed Jul 23, 2025, 05:52 AM Wednesday

Generic cancer drugs used around the world fail quality tests, investigation shows

"Vital chemotherapy drugs used around the world have failed quality tests, putting cancer patients in more than 100 countries at risk of ineffective treatments and potentially fatal side effects, an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) reveals.

The generic drugs in question form the backbone of treatment plans for numerous common cancers — including breast, ovarian, and leukemia. Some drugs contained so little of their key ingredient that pharmacists said giving them to patients would be as good as doing nothing. Other drugs, containing too much of the active ingredient, create the risk of severe organ damage or even death. “Both scenarios are horrendous,” said one pharmacist. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Doctors from multiple countries told TBIJ that the drugs in question didn’t work as expected, leaving patients suddenly unresponsive to treatment. Other patients suffered side effects so toxic that they could no longer tolerate the medicine.

The variance found in the levels of active ingredients was alarming. In some cases, pills from the same blister pack contained different amounts."

https://www.statnews.com/2025/06/25/generic-cancer-drugs-fail-quality-tests-puts-patients-at-risk-tibj-study-says/


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