High School Football Coach Dies Due To Chemotherapy Drug Shortage

[babylonsister]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/high-school-football-coach-dies-due-to-chemotherapy-drug-shortage?ref=home

High School Football Coach Dies Due To Chemotherapy Drug Shortage
HORRIBLE
Edith Olmsted
Breaking News Intern
Published Apr. 30, 2024 6:34PM EDT

A Wisconsin high school football coach diagnosed with stage four cancer died as a result of a nationwide shortage of essential chemotherapy drugs. Jeff Bolle, the football coach at Marquette University High School, died in December after a battle with cancer, because he was unable to get cisplatin during a nationwide shortage that began last year. “I just keep wondering, ‘What if we had gotten the cisplatin? Could it have slowed his cancer down?” Jeff’s wife Connie Bolle told USA Today. “Would he have been able to coach even more? Would he have been stronger? Would he have felt better? ... It’s always a second guess.” Cisplatin is one of two chemotherapy drugs that are still “listed in shortage,” but last year the FDA began allowing imports of the drug to help alleviate some of the strain. According to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, the shortage has persisted because producing the drug, which does not have a patent, is not profitable. Meanwhile, people across the country are dying. “He really cared about other people not getting these chemotherapy drugs,” Connie Bolle said of her husband. “He would still be sad today that people are still dealing with this.”

[barbaraann]

1. We don't have a "health care system."

We have an asset extraction system based on health care.

[mountain grammy]

6. Truth!

[TeamProg]

9. This.

[Deuxcents]

2. The shortage has persisted..is not profitable. 🤬

Profits over people is our system of healthcare and every other aspect of our society and it’s just never enough for those who hold it over the rest of us. Capitalism/greed at its worst. Outrageous

[Hekate]

4. That phrase smacked me across the face as well. Not profitable. Thank you so much.

I wonder if Gov. Newsom’s plans for a medical factory can include this.

[harumph]

3. The synthesis of Cisplatin doesn't seem that complicated either.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Not at all ! It's a very, very simple inorganic molecule -- cis-diammine platinum (II) chloride

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisplatin#Synthesis

It's purely due to business "considerations" -- there's no patent, so no profit.

[Silent Type]

5. Sadly, sounds like he was terminal. But, in negotiating prices for drugs, require companies with some price

concessions to produce these type drugs. There are other ways to ensure production too.

[LudwigPastorius]

7. USA! USA! USA! USA!

...best health care system in the world!

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

8. scary