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Why Is Immunotherapy So Expensive Compared to Chemotherapy?
By Raveena M Prakash
Cancer treatments have come a long way in terms of their effectiveness and their precision in treating different types of cancer in people. Immunotherapy is a highly promising treatment method considered for the cure of cancer and emerging as a revolutionary treatment approach in the spectrum of cancer treatments. As we all know, effectiveness comes with a heavy cost! If you are concerned about why immunotherapy is expensive when compared to chemotherapy! And wants to know more facts about immunotherapy costs, then read further!
In this article, we’ll discuss more about what immunotherapy is and how it works, types of immunotherapy, factors influencing the cost of treatments and much more!
What is immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is an effective cancer treatment that uses the body’s immune system to identify and recognize cancer cells and finally destroy them effectively. A person’s immune system identifies any types of foreign intruders, including cancer cells. However, performing immunotherapy helps to stimulate and boost the immune system, so it identifies and destroys more cells.
Immunotherapy for cancer is considered a highly efficient and successful treatment that might help to cure and increase the overall life expectancy of many patients.
How immunotherapy works to treat cancer patients?
Immunotherapy works by stimulating the immune system to recognize and destroy more and more cancer cells in the body. This treatment also helps the body to produce more cancer-fighting immune cells, which effectively locate and destroy cancer cells.
Different types of immunotherapy
There are different types of immunotherapy treatments used, including:
- Check point inhibitors
- Adoptive cell therapy
- Monoclonal antibodies
- Cancer vaccines
- Immune system modulators
- Oncolytic virus therapy
Immune checkpoint inhibitors
Checkpoint inhibitors also known as immune checkpoint inhibitors is a type of immunotherapy, these powerful drugs are used to block different types of checkpoint proteins that stops the immune system from attacking the cancer cells. These types of drugs are used in the treatments of different types of cancers including;
- Bladder cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Head and neck cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Melanoma
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- lung cancer.
Here are some of the common drugs used for the treatment. For example, CTLA-4 inhibitors, PD-1 inhibitors, and PD L-1 inhibitors.
Adoptive cell therapy
Adoptive cell therapy, also commonly known as cellular immunotherapy, is an effective treatment method that uses the cells of the patient’s immune system, also known as T Cells to destroy cancer. The immune system is capable of identifying and destroying the cells that have become damaged and cancerous as well.
There are immune cells also commonly known as Killer T cells, which are highly powerful against cancer, and it has the ability to bind markers on the surface levels of the cancer cells.
There are mainly two major types of adoptive cell therapy, including CAR T therapy, and Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy.
Cancers treated with CAR-T cell therapy, including:
- Blood cancers
- Some types of leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Multiple myeloma
Monoclonal antibodies
The monoclonal antibody therapy for cancer usually involves the use of some lab-made antibodies that can support the existing antibodies or become an attack force in the body. These drugs can easily block abnormal proteins present in the cancerous cells.
Here are some common types of cancer treated with different types of monoclonal antibodies, including:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Lymphomas
- Leukemia
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-small cell lung cancer
Cancer vaccines
There are some cancer vaccines that help to protect the body against several types of cancers effectively. Some cancer vaccines work against deadly viruses such as human papillomavirus(HPV). This cancer vaccine helps to protect against infectious diseases that are connected to cancers, including anal cancer, throat cancer, and penile cancers.
Immune system modulators
Immune system modulators, also commonly known as immuno system modulators, is a substance that helps to boost the patient’s body’s response to cancer.
There are some common types of immune system modulators used in the treatments of cancer, including:
- Cytokines
- BCG
- Immuno modulatory drugs
Oncolytic virus therapy
Oncolytic virus therapy is a type of immunotherapy treatment that is usually used in the treatment of certain cancers. This treatment method is also known as oncolytic virotherapy, or virotherapy. In this treatment, the healthcare practitioner uses a genetically modified virus to improve the body’s ability to destroy cancer cells without harming the healthy new cells.
Factors influencing the cost of Immunotherapy
There are some factors that influence the immunotherapy cost, starting from research expenses to the complex production and its regulatory challenges.
Here are some key factors that influence the immunotherapy cost, including:
Research and Development costs
Producing immunotherapy drugs usually requires years of cancer research, extensive clinical trials, and innovative technology. The costs of advanced research, lab studies, and preclinical testing, along with multiphase human trials, add up effectively in the overall cost of the drugs.
Manufacturing costs
Many immunotherapy treatments, including CAR T cell therapy, involve personalized medicine. It requires collecting and modifying a patient’s immune cells in the labs, which further leads to a higher production cost of the drugs. The complicated nature of biotechnology-based treatments limits large-scale manufacturing of drugs, which makes the price high in nature.
Patent costs and market exclusivity
Many pharmaceutical companies hold patents that prevent any types of low-quality, generic versions of immunotherapy drugs from entering the market for several years. An exclusivity would mostly allow the manufacturers to set high prices without any kind of market competition. When the patent expires, the challenges of producing similar drugs delays the overall cost reduction for patients.
Administration and treatment costs
Performing immunotherapy requires the need for specialized infusion centers, trained medical staff, and continuous monitoring of the patients. Managing the side effects would help to ensure treatment efficiency. It further leads to frequent hospital visits and some added healthcare expenses.
Regulatory and drug approval challenges
There are two major regulatory bodies, like the FDA and EMA, which would ask the company to undergo some necessary rigorous testing before approving the newly developed drugs. The approval mostly appears to be a lengthy process. It includes safety evaluations and efficiency trials.
Additionally, post-market surveillance also sometimes adds to the overall cost of drugs. Some countries have strict regulations on where the medicines are produced, which also affects pricing and accessibility.
Insurance and financial issues
Many insurances won’t be able to completely cover the costs of immunotherapy, which makes the patients burn a hole in the patient's pockets.
Consult Today
Immunotherapy is an effective cancer treatment, and it holds promising hope for the fight against cancer, but it's expensive when compared to treatments such as chemotherapy. The expense reflects the advancements in its effectiveness and its precision in the successful treatment outcomes.
At Oncare, we offer premium-quality cancer treatments, including major cancer surgeries at affordable price packages with experienced cancer specialist consultation.
If you or any loved ones of yours are diagnosed with any types of cancer, then visit Oncare Cancer Center and book an appointment with our experienced cancer specialist today. Get an estimated cost of your immunotherapy treatments now!
Frequently Asked Questions
Immunotherapy can cause side effects of immunotherapy, including:
- Fatigue
- Itching and rashes
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
Immunotherapy is considered an effective cancer treatment for most types of cancers. This treatment is mostly used to treat cancer that hasn’t responded to any traditional cancer treatments or cancer that has recurred in patients after the traditional cancer treatments.
The majority of cancer patients receive their immunotherapy through an intravenous infusion. Patients might receive immunotherapy drugs daily, weekly, or monthly based on the type of cancer. In the cyclic treatment, the patients might get a chance to rest after the treatment.
Immunotherapy is an effective cancer treatment and performing these treatments helps to control the cancer and it helps to increase the life expectancy of many cancer patients.