by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
Newly launched cancer drug prices have risen over the years and continue to be expensive.
This has become a life frightening challenge for many cancer patients when seeking better cancer treatment.
A new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina confirms that cancer drugs today are far more expensive than those that were used before.
The study conducted on drug prices with comparison to today’s and those previously available highlighted that cancer drugs launched from 2000 to current have become extremely costly, and as a result, have limited the choices of cancer victims when seeking better cancer treatment.
Although cancer is known to be a deadly disease, high prices have seen many cancer victims unable to afford the much needed treatment they seek, with some able to purchase, while many lose their lives.
Papua New Guinea like other developing countries has been challenged by high prices, and has seen many cancer victims lose their lives while seeking better treatment, leaving those who can afford, to either collect funds from family contributions or via fundraising.
The responsibility now falls on individuals and families to meet the cost should they want their members to have better treatment.
One main factor identified as a contributor to high prices is the promising outcomes seen from the tested drugs.
This determines how much a drug should cost, and as a result, most of them are extremely expensive and cannot be paid for by many across the globe.
Despite available alternatives, high prices will still remain a challenge for many worldwide.
