China’s cancer patients hit by new law on experimental drug treatments not approved by government
- The law came into effect on December 1 and forbids pharmaceutical firms giving patients drugs from unapproved clinical trials
- But cancer sufferers benefiting from the drug courses want their treatment to continue
After Wu Xianfa was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, he had surgery to remove part of his lower left lung.
When his doctor recommended chemotherapy to wipe out any remaining cancer cells, Wu refused as colleagues who had also had lung cancer had died after getting chemotherapy straight after surgery.
Following a friend’s recommendation, the 50-year-old from Shanghai instead started taking an experimental drug. He signed an agreement with Shanghai Spark Pharmaceutical in April last year to join its trial – and says it has been a boon to his health.
“I get no other treatments besides the drug,” Wu says. “I get regular checks at hospitals and send the reports about my cancer index and other medical data to the company for research. Without the drug, my condition would have been a lot worse.”
Wu’s continuation in the trial, however, has been thrown into doubt after a new law targeting the use of experimental drugs in China came into effect on December 1. Passed in August, the law forbids pharmaceutical firms from giving patients experimental treatment not approved for clinical trials. It also forbids firms from starting clinical trials without government approval.