Re: Price of Gleevec/Susie

[Guest guest]

At 06:29 AM 1/21/06 +0000, you wrote:

>Hey there im just asking a question..? are you saying in america you

>guys pay over a thousand dollars for your month supply of Gleevec?

>wow..i cant imagine the straign that must put on your family. In

>australia we realize that it cost alot of money we were told $53,000 a

>year to keep someone on Gleevec but thankgoodness for a good medical

>system. And no you dont have to have private health ... we pay a

>normal parscription cost which is around in its $20.00 and if your

>lucky like I am because they put me on a pension due to my side

>effects from Gleevec i only pay about $3.60... We are in a lucky

>Country.

>

>susie Dx 2002

Hi Susie,

In the US, for people who have no health insurance (it is supplied by some

employers, otherwise you buy it yourself).....Novartis has an assistance

program, and provides Gleevec free for some people and subsidized for others.

A lot of us do have health insurance, and we might pay a $$-amount copay

(like I pay $15 a per Rx) or a percentage.

We do have gaps in our health coverage, that is for sure.

But before you brag too much about Australia, I believe (and think we just

had a person post about this the other day).....you are cut off from access

to the drug if you do not have a certain cyto response to it!! that is

pretty appalling really. There are people who have been maintained on

Gleevec, with stable blood counts and no disease acceleration for years,

but have always been 100% ph+. In Australia this treatment would be taken

away from them. What are these folks supposed to do in your country?

Gleevec is not a cure, it is a maintenance drug.....in my mind it is

successful if it is keeping blood counts steady and not allowing CML to

progress. So, Australia is only going to pay for Gleevec for those who have

a better response to it.

It's always important to look at both sides of the coin.

C.

[Guest guest]

>

> >Hey there im just asking a question..? are you saying in america

you

> >guys pay over a thousand dollars for your month supply of Gleevec?

> >wow..i cant imagine the straign that must put on your family. In

> >australia we realize that it cost alot of money we were told

$53,000 a

> >year to keep someone on Gleevec but thankgoodness for a good

medical

> >system. And no you dont have to have private health ... we pay a

> >normal parscription cost which is around in its $20.00 and if your

> >lucky like I am because they put me on a pension due to my side

> >effects from Gleevec i only pay about $3.60... We are in a lucky

> >Country.

> >

> >susie Dx 2002

>

>

> Hi Susie,

> In the US, for people who have no health insurance (it is supplied

by some

> employers, otherwise you buy it yourself).....Novartis has an

assistance

> program, and provides Gleevec free for some people and subsidized

for others.

>

> A lot of us do have health insurance, and we might pay a $$-amount

copay

> (like I pay $15 a per Rx) or a percentage.

>

> We do have gaps in our health coverage, that is for sure.

>

> But before you brag too much about Australia, I believe (and think

we just

> had a person post about this the other day).....you are cut off

from access

> to the drug if you do not have a certain cyto response to it!!

that is

> pretty appalling really. There are people who have been maintained

on

> Gleevec, with stable blood counts and no disease acceleration for

years,

> but have always been 100% ph+. In Australia this treatment would

be taken

> away from them. What are these folks supposed to do in your

country?

> Gleevec is not a cure, it is a maintenance drug.....in my mind it

is

> successful if it is keeping blood counts steady and not allowing

CML to

> progress. So, Australia is only going to pay for Gleevec for those

who have

> a better response to it.

>

> It's always important to look at both sides of the coin.

> C.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

At 09:25 AM 1/22/06 +0000, you wrote:

>. AND ABOUT BEING CUT OFF GLEEVEC? IM

>UNDER TIM HUGHS WHICH MOST PEOPLE FROM THIS GROUP KNOW AND HE SAID

>THAT ONLY IF YOU HAVE 35% PHILLY OR NOT RESPONDING AT ALL TO GLEEVEC

>THEY TAKE YOU OFF AND THEN TRY YOU ON THIS NEW DRUG AND IF YOU HAVE

>NO RESPONSE AT ALL THEN YOU CAN GO BACK ON GLEEVEC. HOW DO I

>KNOW..BECAUSE I HAVE TRAVELLED ON THIS ROAD AND HAVE TIM HUGHES AS

>MY ONC.

Hi Susie,

This was just posted by Ursula on Jan. 19th......

I'm not posting much here but would like to just comment on the high

priced Gleevec shortly.

I have been diagnosed with CML February 2005 and since then I am on

Gleevec 400, subsidised from our Government.

The original price of Gleevec is AUD 3927,97 per Month.

I pay AUD 28,60 on prescription.

After the results of my Bone Marrow Biopsy on January 9th this year (

the 2nd since diagnosed with CML) I will know if I still get Gleevec

subsidised.

I am off Gleevec since January the 8th, had a blood Test done 6 days

ago, have not heard anything from my doctor, I assume so far all is ok.

I will have another Blood test done this sunday and then meet with my

doctor on tuesday to hear the news.

After having been on and off Gleevec constantly because of strong

headaches, I believe that the 400mg are too strong for me, but..who knows.

I had the doseage reduced to every second and then third day and now

have some 6 full packs left.

Should the subsidy not be granted I have at least a little time to

look for an alternative.

Let's hope for the best;-)

With my best wishes for all my fellow CMLer,

Ursula in Australia

________________________________

I have heard this before from patients in Australia and ?? maybe somewhere

else. If the patient does not get a good enough response from Gleevec, the

govt does not subsidize it anymore. Maybe the situation is changing with

the new drugs????? but I have not heard anyone say this. I have heard

patients say they will lose the drug if their response if not good enough.

I think on the UK list also they might talk some about drug rationing and

they do in other European countries with 'socialized' medicine.

C.