Mesothelioma sufferers could get a boost if lawmakers approve a plan to allow the FDA to rapidly approve innovative drugs and treatment.
Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns introduced the Faster Access to Specialized Treatments act that will fast-track medical options for patients who don’t have the time to wait. The goal is to get much needed treatment to those who have fallen ill with rare diseases, such as mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.
For example, if scientists discover that a new medication can shrink a tumor, that treatment could be approved quickly, even if the study isn’t yet complete. According to a report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the current state of drug approval is slow. In the fast-track process that currently exists, it took about seven years to get new drugs to market.
Many mesothelioma patients don’t have that long to wait.
The disease strikes about 3,000 people in the United States each year. Mesothelioma can occur in the lining of the lung, the abdomen or the heart. Doctors have yet to find a cure. However, scientists have found several treatments that can prolong life and make the disease less aggressive.
People suffering from other rare diseases will also benefit from this bill. A rare disease is one that affects no more than 200,000 Americans. Mesothelioma is one of the 7,000 rare diseases that fit into this category. The FDA reports that 30 million Americans are diagnosed with these rare diseases.
While rare, mesothelioma usually occurs in people who have worked in trades where they were exposed to asbestos.
The new legislation will update the 20-year-old accelerated approval process that experts say are now outdated. Under that law, Congress gave the United States Food and Drug Administration permission to approve drugs quickly for those suffering from HIV, AIDS and other rare cancers.
Several biomedical firms and advocacy groups representing those with rare diseases have praised Congress for considering the bill. Mesothelioma patients will join in giving Congress the praise it deserves.
Diseases like mesothelioma have been forgotten for years because it’s so rare. In fact, many doctors fail to accurately diagnose the disease. Mesothelioma shares many of the same symptoms as lung cancer and has similar warning signs. Common symptoms are chest pain, persistent cough, breathing difficulty and fatigue. Symptoms don’t normally occur until 10 or more years after initial exposure to asbestos.