The chemotherapy drugs, cisplatin and carboplatin, used to treat patients with certain types of cancers, including breast, lung and prostate, have been pulled from the shelves due to major quality-control issues at an Intas Pharmaceuticals factory in Gujarat, India, according to Wall Street Journal. There is now a shortage of these drugs in the US and doctors are warning about the impact of relying on other countries to produce pharmaceuticals, calling the situation a "major crisis."
Dr. Vamsi Velcheti, head of the thoracic oncology program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, told the publication that the shortage has caused cancer patients to receive lower than desired drug doses, wait longer between treatments, or switch to other drugs that cause significant side effects as hospitals stretch drug supplies.
"This is a major crisis situation across the country," Velcheti said.
According to the FDA, Indian drug manufacturing facilities had the lowest rate of meeting safety and quality standards among a list of 90 countries. Only 83 percent of India's facilities met the requirements, compared to 93 percent in the US and 90 percent in China.
Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner, warned about India's $50 billion pharmaceutical industry saying that its "impact on American safety and American lives is real."
In addition to the shortage of chemotherapy drugs, other products made by Indian manufacturers have recently been pulled from the US after contaminated eye drops resulted in a massive bacterial outbreak.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) said that more than 80 people in 18 states were infected after using contaminated eye drops made by India-based Global Pharma Healthcare, which resulted in the death of at least four people, Wall Street Journal reports.
Beverly Jennings, 77, of Michigan, felt dumbstruck when she lost vision in her right eye after using EzriCare Artificial Tears made by the Indian manufacturer which she had purchased on Amazon last April.
"I believed that the eyedrops had been determined to be safe," Jennings told the publication.
US manufacturers are attracted to generic medications made overseas because of their low selling price and labor costs, allowing for the production of vast quantities.
According to Wall Street Journal, India is the world’s largest provider of generic drugs, accounting for a fifth of global supply. In 2022, India was the third largest supplier of pharmaceutical imports to the US, behind Mexico and China.
The FDA said that overreliance on cheap medicines can put patients at risk, and about 60 percent of drug shortages are linked to quality problems.
