Letter: Low-cost medicine would discourage cancer research

Friday, May 28, 1999 | 10:28 a.m.

Clearly, efforts on the part of so many in the cancer community -- from physicians to patient advocates to industry -- have begun to pay off.

Now, when we may finally be gaining on this deadly enemy, we need to do everything in our power to encourage research. That's why I was alarmed to learn of a federal bill sponsored by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

While well intended -- its goal is to make medicines more affordable for senior citizens -- the bill would actually hurt seniors and all patients with cancer by discouraging the research that provides our best hope of ever winning the war on cancer.

The bill would impose price controls on more than 40 percent of the pharmaceutical market. At a time when there are more than 350 new cancer medicines (for both prevention and treatment) in the research pipeline, that would discourage the investment needed to fund private-sector pharmaceutical research, which costs hundreds of million dollars for every drug.

Even some of the promising medicines already in the early stages of development could be dropped.

It's important to help seniors gain access to medicines that can help them. But let's do it in a way that doesn't have an outcome that is completely opposite the one intended.

CAROLYN R. ALDIGE