Life-saving cancer drug restricted
Posted Dec 13, 2016 3:34 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A B.C. woman says a new immuno-oncology drug that saved her life is not available to everyone.
Kathy Barnard, who was given only months to live a number of years ago, ended up beating Metastatic Melanoma thanks to clinical trials of Yervoy 10 years ago.
Now, she says it’s one of two drugs approved for treatment, but the issue is, patients cannot have both.
“The drug that saved us is available, but it’s one or another,” she said. “And what happens if you’re a patient that fails the new drug? Why can’t you have the one we had? Maybe that’s your magic bullet.”
She started a non-profit to support those with skin cancer, called the Save Your Skin Foundation, which is now lobbying to see both drugs covered under health insurance.
Barnard says they’re also worried a new treatment option recently approved will also be restricted.
