Cancer Drug Shortage Renews Calls For Federal Action

FRIDAY, June 26, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Cancer doctors across the United States are running short of essential generic chemotherapy drugs, and some fear the squeeze could force widespread rationing, The New York Times reported.

The shortages trace to manufacturing problems, shipping delays and decisions by some companies to stop making the medicines, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The decades-old infusions are hard to produce in sterile plants and command very low prices. Yet, they remain among the most effective options for cancers of the breast, lung and head and neck when more targeted treatments aren't available, The Times reported.

For ifosfamide, used to treat sarcomas, lymphomas and testicular cancers, some doctors are already meeting to decide who gets treated.

"There are some individuals who won't be able to receive this drug, even if it is the best option for them, which puts pharmacists, doctors, patients and families in a horrific situation," said Dr. Andrew Shuman, a head and neck cancer surgeon and professor at the University of Michigan.

In his state, clinicians are steering scarce doses toward patients most likely to benefit — a process that tends to favor younger people with a chance at full recovery, Shuman told The Times.

Hospitals and clinics buying through Premier, a purchasing company working with about 4,200 health systems, have had just 38% of their ifosfamide orders filled and roughly two-thirds of their cisplatin orders filled, the company told The Times. Cisplatin treats ovarian, testicular and bladder cancers.

While rationing does not yet appear to be widespread, some practices have begun spacing out doses and booking infusions back-to-back so none of the medication is wasted, The Times reported.

Securing supply of carboplatin, cisplatin and oxaliplatin "has been very difficult," said Dr. Lucio Gordan, president of the Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute. 

"These three drugs remain the backbone of many cancer therapies," he said.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said the FDA was working to ease the shortages and was weighing whether to temporarily allow imports from companies that don't normally supply the United States, The Times reported.

The FDA says shortages can stem from manufacturing and quality problems, delays and discontinuations, and that it works closely with manufacturers to prevent or reduce their impact. Once a drug is listed in the agency's database as being in short supply, the FDA works with manufacturers to resolve it.

One ifosfamide supplier, Baxter, said it relies on a contract plant in Germany where FDA inspectors last year found sterility problems, including bacteria in a filling area. The company received a warning letter in March, The Times reported. 

Baxter estimates the drug could be available again in October.

There are some signs of relief. The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company recently began making carboplatin and methotrexate at a Texas facility, The Times reported.

Still, advocates say little has changed at the federal level since carboplatin and cisplatin fell into a shortage for several months three years ago.

"These are going to keep happening until we address the root cause," Shuman told The Times.

More information

Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for answers to frequently asked questions about drug shortages.

SOURCES: The New York Times, June 24, 2026; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, October 2025