Request Quality control and childhood cancer medicines

On Jan 25, 2023, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism published devastating evidence that at least 70 000 children with cancer in 90 countries globally are at risk of being treated with contaminated and low-quality asparaginase, a chemotherapeutic drug used mostly in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The investigation showed that at least seven manufacturers continue to sell their products despite being warned that they do not meet minimum quality assurance. Indeed, many brands fall well below the therapeutic standards needed to treat cancer and some have been found to contain potentially harmful contaminants, such as bacteria.