Colo-rectal cancer drug Erbitux showed potential in prolonging survival of patients in a Phase II, or mid-stage trial, German drugs and chemicals group Merck said Thursday.
Merck said the drug, when combined with therapy using a chemical called irinotecan, could improve survival for patients whose cancer had spread beyond the bowel and who could not be operated on.
The company's goal is to market Erbitux in combination with radiation and to market Erbitux on its own as a treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck cancer.
However, the ridiculously high cost of the drug may put it out of reach for many cancer patients. Several reports I've seen put the cost anywhere from $4,400 per month, to upwards of $150,00 for a year's supply. Which begs the question, why do these drugs cost so much?
