Patient Advocate for CancerConnect.com and Acclaimed Writer, Jamie Reno, Delivers Devastating News of Lifesaving Cancer Drug's Discontinuation
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) August 26, 2013 -- According to Jamie Reno, an award-winning correspondent for Newsweek, he received a note from GlaxoSmithKline spokesperson, Bernadette King, on August 7th saying that the company would halt the manufacturing and sale of Bexxar on February 14th 2014. Reno immediately then posted the story to his national news blog, The Reno Dispatch. Further citation can also be found at PipelineReview.com in their report published August 6, 2013. The post indicates the many problems with discontinuing the cancer drug and discusses why the drug many have been cancelled in the first place. For Reno, it was a personal blow.
Reno has been in remission for more than thirteen years because of Bexxar, and he has spoken with countless other survivors who wouldn't be here today if it weren't for radio-immunotherapy in the form of Bexxar and its competitor, Zevalin. Although the spokesperson for GSK said they tried to make the drug available to patients through a wide range of options, Reno disputes their claim that their ultimate decision was the correct one. GSK says that they plan to make the cell line that is responsible for the production of Bexxar available for research purposes. Zevalin, which is manufactured by Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, will remain on the market but is also in financial trouble, according to both Reno and Nasdaq.com on August 8, 2013.
Bexxar is a form of radio-immunotherapy that is used to tread non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It combines radiotherapy with monoclonal therapy to target and kill cancer cells. Bexxar is touted by advocates, patients and some doctors for its longer remissions, much shorter treatment time and fewer side effects than chemotherapy. Although it has been highly successful for many non-Hodgkin's patients, like Mr. Reno, it has not gained wide recognition from the medical community nor patients. In the post, Reno speculates that the reasons for this could include doctor unfamiliarity with the drug, inequitable Medicare reimbursement rates, and fear of the idea of radiation therapy.
For more information and the latest news on Bexxar's discontinuation, radio-immunotherapy, and how this drug saved Reno's life, please check out The Reno Dispatch or contact Reno directly at jreno(at)san(dot)rr(dot)com.
Company/Organization Info: Jamie Reno, a patient advocate for CancerConnect.com and an award-winning correspondent for Newsweek for 20 years, has also written for The Daily Beast, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, People, Men’s Journal, ESPN, Los Angeles Times, TV Guide, Mother Jones, MSNBC, Newsmax, Entertainment Weekly, and USA Today. Reno, who’s won more than 95 writing awards, was the lead reporter on, a Newsweek series on the 9/11 terrorist attacks that earned him and his colleagues the National Magazine Award for General Excellence, the highest award in magazine journalism. Reno is also an acclaimed author, singer-songwriter, advocate for cancer patients, and 16-year cancer survivor.
Jamie Reno, The Reno Dispatch, http://therenodispatch.blogspot.com/, +1 858-467-1070, [email protected]
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