Glivec should be placed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

Nicholas Poulos is 30 years of age with a wife and 20 month old daughter. Nick was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in the Chronic Phase in April Last year. Nick's only options for remission are the drugs Interferon, the new drug Glivec or a bone marrow transplant. As he has no suitable donor at the moment for a bone marrow transplant this is not an option.

Unfortunately Nick is intolerant to the drug Interferon as he suffered an extreme adverse reaction resulting in him being hospitalised.

This leaves Glivec as the only option unless a suitable donor is found for a transplant.

Glivec is only available under the Federal Government's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in the Accelerated or Blast phase. The accelerated phase is when the disease is developing more quickly. The Blast phase is the final stage of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia and patients in this phase would have only a matter of months to live.

Obviously we do not wish to wait for him to reach this stage. Currently the cost of Glivec is $4000.00 per month.