NEW YORK—Noting that the cost of the pharmaceutical drug places it out of reach for most of the U.S. populace, industry analysts confirmed Friday that the life-saving cancer medication Rizolafan remains far more accessible to a laboratory rat than to the vast majority of Americans. “While this drug has shown considerable efficacy in counteracting tumor growth, U.S. citizens who are currently suffering from advanced pancreatic or colorectal cancer are far less likely to obtain a desperately needed dose than any number of albino rodents locked in cages in a biotech firm’s animal lab,” said Mount Sinai chief of medicine Dr. Martin Aberg, who stated that the average rat infected with the terminal illness could expect to receive as much of the medication as needed, while the thousands of people suffering from the same disease who live in the wealthiest country in the world likely would not. “Whereas most cancer-stricken Americans face insurmountable barriers to receiving this drug, ranging from insufficient insurance coverage to unaffordable out-of-pocket costs, and despite the fact that such a treatment could ease their suffering and significantly extend their lives, it is nevertheless consistently and freely available to hundreds of rats, which do not have to contend with any such obstacles.” Analysts also confirmed that the average rodent was provided with more personalized and attentive care than nearly 98 percent of patients in American hospitals.

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