Drug can make chemotherapy less effective in obese cancer patients

A drug used to fight fungal infections in cancer patients has a major caveat: Research shows the drug may work twice as long in obese people. This means that chemotherapeutics may be less effective when interacting with the drug, but some doctors and their patients are unaware of that possibility.

However, the information is not in the label because the drug – originally manufactured by Merck – has never been fully tested in this population. And the company has refused to update the language.

At issue is a drug called posaconazole that was approved in the US in 2006 but is now also sold by generic companies. However, as the original brand manufacturer, Merck remains legally responsible for the labeling, meaning all available versions are missing the details. And some doctors argue that this compromises safety and effectiveness for cancer patients who are also obese.

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