Marisol Touraine seized the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs on the case of several patients undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma …
“Serious complications” and suspicious deaths in hospital. The Health Minister, Marisol Touraine , seized Thursday the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (IGAS) after the death of three patients receiving chemotherapy at the University Hospital of Nantes .
These patients (and a fourth person remains in hospital), suffering from lymphoma , followed an intensive course of chemotherapy with autograft. They received treatment “including cyclophosphamide medication to replace the drug melphalan generally used,” said a ministry statement.
The origin of complications remains to be determined
The IGAS, “seizure because of the succession of these cases,” should “determine the exact causes of these serious complications, as well as the organization, the means and chemotherapy fulfillment of conditions”.
“At this stage, the origin of complications is not established,” it added.
Complications occurred “in four adult lymphoma patients at the University Hospital of Nantes between 10 and 13 November” and “three of them died on 10, 12 and 13 November.” “The fourth patient is still hospitalized at the University Hospital of Nantes.”
The ministry says he was informed Thursday of the occurrence of complications in four patients between 10 and 13 November.
A drugs investigation
The decision of the doctors Nantes University Hospital to use cyclophosphamide rather than melphalan, typically used to treat such patients, was motivated “by the European supply voltages melphalan and by their choice of book lots their disposal the treatment of myeloma patients, indication for which there is no alternative “.
Treatment with cyclophosphamide, the ministry said, “is validated by the medical community” and was “used for years for the treatment of lymphoma.”
No complications elsewhere
“It is currently used by other institutions in France, in the same context, without such complications have been reported,” he added.
The drug agency ANSM has in turn launched an investigation into the products. The first findings of these surveys are expected within seven days.
