Glioblastoma Foundation Partners with Continuity Pharma to Bring Glioblastoma Drug to Patients

The Glioblastoma Foundation is proud to announce a partnership with Continuity Pharma to bring the glioblastoma drug Lomustine to patients more affordably and accessibly. 

There are currently very few effective therapies for recurrent glioblastoma.  Lomustine is one of the only effective therapies currently FDA approved for recurrent glioblastoma and is used as the standard of care.

In 2013, Bristol-Myers Squibb stopped manufacturing Lomustine and sold the drug to NextSource Pharmaceuticals. Since then, NextSource Pharmaceuticals has re-branded Lomustine (Gleostine), raised the price to levels as high as $1,000/pill, and pulled the drug from the Medicare Drug Program. Prior to 2013, the cost of Lomustine was around $50/pill.

Earlier this year when Stephen Stein's glioblastoma recurred and his doctor prescribed Lomustine for him, he and his wife Jane were shocked to discover that the cost of the drug was as high as $1,000.00/pill. For patients like Stephen who are prescribed Lomustine, the drug cost can be prohibitive.  Most glioblastoma patients are over the age of 65, and at a time when they should be focused on fighting for their lives, they instead have to choose between the ability to pay or live longer. 

At the Glioblastoma Foundation, we believe every patient that needs it should have access to Lomustine and that it should be affordable.

Today the Glioblastoma Foundation is proud to announce a partnership with Indianapolis-based Continuity Pharma to bring Lomustine to glioblastoma patients. The mission of Continuity Pharma is to ensure the availability of generic drugs. They use continuous flow drug manufacturing processes to manufacture drugs in America and ensure the availability of essential medications for patients who need them most.

For patients like Stephen Stein, the thought of dipping into IRAs to pay for Lomustine can be scary.  Many organizations have spoken out about Lomustine and the price gouging that continues to occur, but the Glioblastoma Foundation is doing something to change that.  The partnership between Glioblastoma Foundation and Continuity Pharma will see the price of the drug fall by over 90% while also ensuring this essential medication is manufactured in the U.S. with only the highest quality ingredients. The Glioblastoma Foundation will obtain the active pharmaceutical ingredient from Continuity Pharma and formulate it, distributing it to patients once FDA approved. As a non-profit, the Glioblastoma Foundation is uniquely positioned to be able to bring this drug to glioblastoma patients while cutting the cost by over 90% in the process!

The fight to survive glioblastoma should never come down to the ability to pay.

The Glioblastoma Foundation could not stand idly by while glioblastoma patients were having to choose between living longer or the ability to pay. We are glad to have found a partner in Continuity Pharma that shares our goal of ensuring that patients have access to essential medications to help them live longer. The Glioblastoma Foundation plans to obtain FDA approval for generic Lomustine in 2022 and to make the drug available to patients in 2023.  We look forward to keeping you updated on our progress!

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