The father of a woman who died from acute side effects of the controversial cancer drug Iressa is considering filing a compensation suit against its importer for failing to swiftly alert medical institutions to the drug's dangers.
Akio Chikazawa, 59, said Saturday he is consulting lawyers with experience in cases of medicine-induced illnesses and deaths and is also considering suing the government, citing doubts over the screening process by the health ministry, which approved the drug in a short period of time.
Iressa, as a new type of medicine for lung cancer, was selected for a fast-track screening procedure for approval by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. After five months of expedited examination, Japan approved the drug last July, becoming the first country in the world to do so.
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