Thalidomide off-label coverage
Executive Summary
"I think we are making a lot of progress" in working with CMS to gain coverage for thalidomide for cancer in replacement drug demonstration project under Medicare Part B, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) tells the Blood Cancer Coalition May 19. Under CMS proposed demonstration, Medicare would cover only FDA-approved indications for oral cancer drugs (1"The Pink Sheet" April 19, 2004, p. 29). Thalidomide (Celgene's Thalomid) is approved only for the cutaneous symptoms of leprosy but is widely used for multiple myeloma...
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