Low-Cost Cancer Drug Helped Young Patients, Until It Vanished

After years of debate about U.S. drug costs being too high, a senior Food and Drug Administration official issued a different warning Wednesday in Washington: Some medicines don’t cost enough.

Vincristine is a critical component in the care of almost every child fighting blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. While the medicine is invaluable for patients, their doctors and their families, its low cost meant it generated scant sales for the companies that made it: Pfizer Inc. and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

So, this summer, Teva decided to drop production of the drug. A shortage ensued, with pediatric cancer patients ...