Provenge

[hysir]

After 3rd infusion got a bacterial infection caused by bacterium in infused material. Spent 3 days in hospital and still dealing with infectious disease people. I am feeling fine. Has anyone taken action against Dendreon for their problem with sterility.

[Hidden]

I think they were or they are still in bankruptcy. Before deciding to take action you should check if they have some kind of bankruptcy protection.

[hysir in reply to Hidden]

I will check that out, thnx

[YostConner]

Sorry to hear this. Heal well.

[Don1157]

Well that sucked! Sorry you went through that!

[ctarleton]

Sorry that happened. Bummer.

The cause or liability might be hard to prove, though.

There is a long chain of custody, so to speak, between when you start the 3-ish hours of the leukapheresis process to harvest you cells, and when the treated cells are returned to your body several days later as Provenge. Anywhere along the line might introduce chances for contamination or spoilage. Your access points of veins in the arms or a port if that was used. The tubes and the leukapheresis machine itself. A break in temperature controls or handling as the courier took it for shipping to the processing site. At any number of points during processing. In transit to the Infusion center. During holding and administration at the Infusion center. Etc.

I've seen posts in the past that described how batches of Provenge went bad because of problems with an infected port.

[hysir in reply to ctarleton]

thnx for the info

[RonPavluvcik]

On the day I was to get my first infusion of PROVENGE, the manufacturer Dendreon called me to say that while processing my white blood cells from the leukeferesis withdrawal process a couple of days prior, they discovered my blood was contaminated, and so they could not complete the processing of my blood for that first infusion. I had to be hospitalized for 3 days for my bacteria infection to be treated. Doctors concluded the port in my chest was contaminated, and it was removed. I was upset and frustrated by these events, but after waiting for 3 months to settle down and consider my options, I started all over again, getting another chest port installed, and finally successfully completed the 3 PROVENGE infusions by the end of October 2017.

It will take a year or more to try to determine if PROVENGE extended my life expectancy. Am getting chemo now - TAXOTERE. My PSA is 540 and I have had mets to nodes and bones for almost a year. My hair is falling oujt as expected, but I'm hoping the chemo may push back on the cancer and get me into partial remission....for a while.

Dendreon is now owned by a Chinese company, and it looks like they are finally ramping up PROVENGE completions. But I don't know if they are making any profit. Huge research costs from years of develolment.

[Grumpyswife]

The implanted port is not necessary which we found out too late.