Roche and tarceva

[phillipa]

I was sent a link from a friend in Texas regarding Roche and it's patient assistance programme. If you qualify you get the drug for free for as long as it is needed.

I logged on to the Roche site here but couldn't find such a programme, so I have emailed Roche inquiring if they have such a programme over here.

Nothing ventured nothing gained

Phillipa

[Deanne Jenkyns]

Hiya Phillipa,
Thanks for that. Hope their is a positive response. I emailed them a few days ago telling them about our fight and the setting up of this site to communicate with other patients. I aksed them if their was advise they could offer. Not heard anything back as yet. If you get a response let me know.


Take care
Deanne
x

[phillipa]

Here is the message just received from Roche

Ref: 60058/04+

Dear Mrs Smith

Thank you for your enquiry regarding Tarceva (erlotinib). We are very sorry to hear that your husband is suffering with lung cancer.

Tarceva is a prescription only medicine which can only be obtained when prescribed by a doctor experienced in oncology. Drugs become widely available on the NHS when they are approved by NICE. Tarceva has not yet been approved by NICE and it may be some time until this occurs. The Department of Health (DH) have, however, stated that funding for newly licensed treatments should not be withheld because guidance from NICE is unavailable, where there is good clinical evidence. In these circumstances, the DH expects primary care trusts (PCT) to take full account of the available evidence when reaching their funding decisions.1 When requested, Roche Products provide information on our new drugs to the budget holders at each respective PCT. The final decision however very much depends on the local PCT and whether they are prepared to fund a drug. If the consultant requires any supportive information from Roche to help in his quest for funding then please ask him to get into contact with us in Drug Information at the freephone number listed below.

We do not offer a scheme in the UK similar to that which you have described in the US. The way that the health system works in the US is very different to here. In addition, there are a range of very complicated reasons why we are unable to offer our treatments to individual patients (e.g. the appropriateness of Tarceva for your husband, his medical history etc).

The only other thing I can think of is that your husband may be eligible for a trial. Unfortunately due to restrictions placed upon me by the Association of Pharmaceutical Industry, I am unable to discuss directly with patients as to the availability of clinical trials. However, please do ask your consultant to contact us directly and we will then be able to discuss Roche’s clinical trial portfolio in detail including clinical criteria for the studies. In the interim time, a number of websites are available for public consultation and these list clinical trials which are complete, in progress or in draft. The web addresses for these are www.ifpma.org/clinicaltrials.html, www.roche-trials.com/ and www.ncrn.org.uk/portfolio/dbase.asp

For further help and assistance regarding obtaining funding for Tarceva I would strongly suggest that you speak to the following organisations:

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation www.roycastle.org tel: [phone]
CancerBACUP www.cancerbacup.org.uk tel: [phone]

Yours sincerely

Louise Hasler
New Products Team Leader

Reference 1. Commons Hansard, June 7 2005, Column 426W

Roche Products Ltd
Drug Information
6 Falcon Way, Shire Park
Welwyn Garden City
AL7 1TW
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
email: [e-mail]

Registered Number 100674
London

[Deanne Jenkyns]

Hiya Phillipa,
Thanks for shring this email with us. Would you mind if I forwarded this onto Jimmy's oncologist?



Deanne
x

[phillipa]

Deanne,

Please send it to Jimmy's oncologist. The more who know about what is happening, the possibility of getting this approved by NICE will be to everyone who needs it advantage

[Deanne Jenkyns]

Thanks Phillipa,
I am meeting a journalist tomorrow too, so it may come in useful then too! This whole thing gets more crazy by the hour!


Deanne
x