Cancerworld recently published an article by Ann Wagstaff titled Begging for imatinib: why do so many patients still lack access to this lifesaver? It highlights the challenges people living with CML face in accessing imatinib, a life-extending medicine that has been generic for many years. Here is our perspective on the story.
We have known for some time that most innovative drugs are not available in low-middle income countries (LMICs) and that patients needlessly suffer without treatment. The Max Foundation bridges this gap by developing access models in LMICs in collaboration with it partners to help patients in urgent need.
This article is important because it dispels common myths about access to innovative medicines after patient expiry in LMICs and underscores that availability of treatments does not by itself create access for patients. These myths prevent progress. By telling the story of one of the first orphan drugs in cancer and what took place when the originator lost patent exclusivity, the article highlights three critical lessons that we must consider when developing solutions:
To achieve access for all, we must put the patient first and act as a global community instead of pushing responsibility on one another. As a first step, we must agree on a definition of access meaning that it only exists when all patients are able to receive the right treatment and the right dose at the right time.
Only by putting the needs of patients’ first and working together as a community can we drive lasting changes that will deliver real solutions for patients in need.
The Max Foundation is a leading global health nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating health equity. For 28 years, Max has pioneered practical, scalable, high-quality solutions to bring life-extending treatments and patient-centered health care to more than 100,000 people living with cancer and critical illness in low- and middle-income countries. Max believes in a world where all people can access high-impact medicines, where geography is not destiny, and where everyone can strive for health with dignity and with hope.
Every day can feel like World Cancer Day when you are living with Cancer. A diagnosis changes our lives and our family’s lives from the moment we hear the news. We want you to know that you are not alone in facing your diagnosis. In fact, we created a playlist of inspiring songs from around the world to keep you going so you can listen anytime and feel the support of your community.
Health systems around the world are strained due to the high burden of costs. In an attempt to guide decision-makers in their choices on behalf of patients, the topic of value frameworks was born. These value frameworks evaluate all aspects of cancer treatment: clinical benefit, side effects, and improvement in patient symptoms or quality of life. But given the complexities of the multitude of health systems around the world, it is not a straightforward discussion. And right now, it’s a dialogue driven by thought leaders and health economists from the US and Europe. But there are critical voices is missing from this discussion: patients and patient advocates.
They’re patients, physicians, pharmacists, police officers, caregivers, and cancer care advocates stepping up to help vulnerable patients continue to have access to treatment throughout the global pandemic closures.
