The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given Qilu Pharmaceutical permission to ship cisplatin to the United States to ease a national cancer drug shortage.
Qilu Pharmaceutical, which makes and markets cisplatin injections in China, received FDA permission to export the drug to the U.S. market weeks ago, a document shows.
Qilu is coordinating with a Toronto-based company, Apotex, to distribute 50-milligram cisplatin vials in the U.S. Health care providers can begin ordering the drug Tuesday through their wholesalers.
Cisplatin is a generic drug that has been available for decades in the U.S. and is distributed by several approved manufacturers.
Qilu's version of cisplatin is not approved in the U.S. Qilu, which is headquartered in the city of Jinan in Shandong province, says it is one of the 10 largest drug manufacturers in China.
At least 13 other cancer drugs are in short supply across the U.S. CNBC Health & Science Read CNBC's latest global health coverage: Here's what Pfizer and Moderna say is next for their Covid vaccines Pfizer oral weight loss drug may be as effective as Ozempic injection by Novo Nordisk, study says FDA advisors recommend Pfizer's RSV vaccine for infants but raise safety concerns The cancer drug shortages have forced some hospitals to ration medications by reducing the dosage to extend the supply and prioritizing patients who have a better chance of being cured.
Up to 20% of cancer patients are treated with cisplatin and other platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, according to the National Cancer Institute.
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