Obama Signs Order to Alleviate Drug Shortages Which Could Benefit Mesothelioma Patients

Drug shortages are impacting the health of individuals and making it difficult for doctor to get the medications needed to treat disease like mesothelioma, breast and colon cancer and childhood leukemia. The patients, who need these drugs, often have to settle for less effective drugs and a number of factor have caused the shortages, including reduced production based on low profitability for drug companies.

President Obama signed an executive order earlier this week, which could benefit mesothelioma patients. The order, as reported by the New York Times, will help alleviate the shortages by requiring the FDA to do three things. First, the FDA must broaden their reporting of potential shortages of specific prescription drugs. The order also requires the FDA to speed reviews of applications to begin or modify production of these drugs along with providing information to the Department of Justice about possible price gouging.

This is important to mesothelioma patients because over 180 cancer drugs are in short supply. Mesothelioma is a detrimental cancer with few treatment options, a shortage of the necessary drugs can be a matter of life and death for these patients. Treatment is costly for these patients and they often employ mesothelioma attorneys to get the funding needed for their care.

Mesothelioma is a lung cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos, which has been widely used in construction and other industrial applications. Manufacturers of asbestos containing materials have failed to inform workers of the dangers and have been taken to court by mesothelioma layers because of their flagrant disregard for the safety of others.

Asbestos victims need a mesothelioma attorney who will stand up against the companies, who have shown neglect and lack of concern for the well-being of industrial workers.