21 August 2016 - When Steven Jones-Evans was diagnosed with bladder cancer, the prognosis was grim. His only hope was new – and expensive – immunotherapy. His response to the treatment was nothing short of astonishing.
A feature article in The Age outlines the amazing stories of several patients who have been treated in Melbourne with new immunotherapies.
The next fight will be over timely access and affordability to these exciting new treatment options.
Pharmaceutical firms charge anything up to $150,000 for a year’s worth of an immunotherapy drug. It isn’t as if the ingredients are expensive, says Jonathan Cebon. “You can make it for the cost of brewing beer … but there are massive research and development costs to recoup.” And as the patent-holders for these potentially life-saving medicines, the drug companies can put whatever price tag they like on them. The Cancer Council’s Sanchia Aranda says charges vary from country to country. “The cost is really based on what the market will bear. Some of this is unethical in my view.” Aranda adds: “This is a global issue. You can feel the outrage that is starting to build about access.”