Mixed Review for Prostate Cancer Vaccine: Dendreon

Blue Cross Blue Shield has recently conducted a review of the new prostate immunization to see if the therapy should still be considered a treatment option. The reviews came back very mixed, and the insurer is still not stating whether they will cover this procedure.

Provenge, manufactured by Dendreon a Seattle based pharmaceutical company, is the first new drug to hit the market for treatment of prostate cancer in decades that does not include chemotherapy. The immunization works with the immune system to fight the disease.

Medicare has not made its final decision to approve the drug either, but is leaning toward the approval. While cost of a treatment plan is not supposed to be the determining factor of approval, the shot carries a high price tag. The injection costs $93,000.00 for each patient and has shown only to increase the life expectancy by 4 months. Doctors have not found any additional benefits of the drug. Medicare has requested more testing be done to find additional benefits of the drug.

Originally the drug was designed to reduce the growth of tumors. However, this showed unsuccessful so they changed their study to look for increases in life expectancy. When the drug proved to increase life span the drug makers were elated and applied for FDA approval.

Most private insurers currently cover the treatment, as does Medicare and Medicaid while the process is under review. The future of the drug remains to be seen until the final decisions are made on the therapy.