Surfside Collapse Victim Sues Insurance Company Amid Cancer Battle

Pablo Langesfeld, who lost his daughter and son-in-law in the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside, Florida, is now facing a new challenge: stage four pancreatic cancer. Adding to his hardship, Langesfeld is suing Oscar Insurance Company for denying coverage of a potentially life-extending drug combination therapy, Avmapki Fakzynja [NBC Miami].

The Fight for Coverage

The dispute centers around Avmapki Fakzynja, an anti-cancer drug combination therapy that costs $48,500 every three weeks [NBC Miami]. While the drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ovarian cancer, it is not yet approved for pancreatic cancer. However, clinical trials have shown promising results, and some insurance companies are covering the treatment [NBC Miami].

Langesfeld’s son, Martin Langesfeld, stated that his father’s doctor believes the drug is essential to his treatment plan, particularly in conjunction with chemotherapy. “He’s going through very intense chemotherapy every week, and this medication goes hand in hand with that chemotherapy to complete the treatment that his doctor, his oncologist, is recommending,” Martin Langesfeld said [NBC Miami].

A Family’s Ongoing Struggle

The Langesfeld family has been actively involved in efforts to create a memorial for the victims of the Surfside building collapse [Newsbreak]. This lawsuit represents another difficult battle for the family, coming just years after the tragic loss of their loved ones in the 2021 collapse [Living Loving Miami].

Legal Action

The lawsuit filed against Oscar Insurance Company seeks to compel the insurer to cover the cost of Avmapki Fakzynja, arguing that the denial of coverage is detrimental to Langesfeld’s health and well-being [NBC Miami].