One of the latest breakthroughs in medicine is immunotherapy, a revolutionary way to treat cancer. According to an article by The Guardian, it is a combination therapy which helps the body’s own defences fight cancerous cells. It has shown impressive results for terminally ill melanoma patients, and in general, has shown promise when treating usually terminal forms of cancer. However, this article by Bloomberg presents the case for the next hurdle which is yet to be faced; understanding which patients actually respond positively to the treatment.
Part of the challenge includes the abominable cost to purchase the drugs required for immunotherapy (Opdivo from Bristol-Myers and Keytruda from Merck), which are priced at approximately $150,000 per year. Another challenge would be the daunting side effects contracted from taking the drugs. They range from lung inflammation and hepatitis, to rash and diarrhoea.
The challenge increases in intensity with pharmaceutical companies attempting to combine new therapies for greater effectiveness -- increasing both side effects and price. Despite this, the prospect of immunotherapy is high, since it cures an array of deadly cancers and tumours. Click to read the article