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Inno 406

Hi All,

Many of you may already of course be aware but just in case not (or for newbies like me),
here is a quick note that there looks like yet another alternative for those who are or may become Glivec resistant.

http://www.innovivepharma.com/content/inno-406.html

They appear to be towards the end of Phase 1 trials at MD Anderson and they appear to position themselves as competition to the other current options of dasatanib and AMN-107.

Their direct qoute from the website:

"INNO-406 has demonstrated activity in 12 of 13 imatinib-resistant cell lines."

and then they go on to qoute:

"Because it targets both mechanisms of resistance seen with Gleevec, INNO-406 should be effective in treating Gleevec-resistant CML and may delay or even prevent the onset of resistance in treatment naïve CML patients. The ability of INNO-406 to specifically target the Bcr-Abl and Lyn kinases may result in a better side effect profile than agents that target multiple kinases such as a pan-Src inhibitor"

This is really encouraging to hear about along with the other options that are currently available and others in the pipeline.

Here is MD Andersons current list of Clinic Trials..if you scroll down the page you can see the ones they are doing for CML.

http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/leukemia/dIndex.cfm?pn=0F815EEC-C6...

Kind Regards and God Bless.

Bill

thanks for the link Bill. there are several drug companies with Glivec type drugs in development. over the next couple of years we will see them in clinical trials.
you are right... it is really encouraging to hear about this.
this is why we have to ensure that cml patients can access these drugs through our health system. it is really no good if we have lots of researchers producing better and better drugs when pct's refuse to pay for them and patients lives are put a risk because of funding issues.
sandy C ;o)

Very well said Sandie, I have run into this for the second time since 1996, the dread 'funding' word, I have to ask why should we deprive the right of cancer patients the right to treatment, while we fund a futile war in a foreign land ? Those of us who are ancient will remember other such theatres of war, such as Aden, Cyprus, N. Ireland, no-one was a winner, so why ?

Hi Sandy

Yes you are right, one worry which we should not have to contend with is the fact of worrying how I will get the next drug if/when I become intolerent to Glivec, I had a very interesting conversation with a GP today on how the funding works for them and therefore how much money the PCT actually have left to budget. Supposedly part of every PCT budget is suppossed to be assigned for forward contingency for new drugs or procedures but this rarely happens with such big deficits.

Sandy,
If we cannot get drugs we need, what are the options? For example I found out the other week that if I lived in the PCT region next to mine, I would not have even gotten Glivec because they are more than £30million in the red.

So what does someone who lives in one of these regions do? Surely it is unreasonable to withold potential life saving treatment? Move to a region where they do offer it? Beg the pharmacuetical companies for free drugs until the PCT's do approve them?

How do the PCT's justify witholding this drug because they are unable to manage there funds effectively or are just not given enough funds?

What can I do to become a proactive part of the solution or is it just such a muddle that there is no way to be effective?

Bill

Hi Bill
Glivec is NICE approved for frontline therapy for CML. The PCT cannot refuse to fund this and if there is anyone out there who is being refused funding for Glivec we need to know.
Funding of new drugs will continue being an issue and we will have to fight our corner. We did it for Glivec and we will have to do it again for those now intolerant to Glivec. Writing to PCTs, Chief Executives, MPs, enlisting the help of consultants and so on and using the media.
At the moment as you have seen on the site we are campaigning for access to Dasatinib/Sprycel for those intolerant/resistant to Glivec.
If you are reading this Ella, please let me know how you are getting on with West Kent PCT.
We will be putting template letters on the site for people to use in their campaigning efforts, this worked well when we were campaigning for Glivec to be approved. Everyone of us needs to get in there and make ourselves heard, it is the only way.
Best wishes
Elizabeth

'.....Sandy,
If we cannot get drugs we need, what are the options? For example I found out the other week that if I lived in the PCT region next to mine, I would not have even gotten Glivec because they are more than £30million in the red.

So what does someone who lives in one of these?...'

hi bill and keith,
well to answer the above... pct's who refuse to fund glivec are treading dangerous ground because glivec does have NICE guidance and a pct is required by law to reimburse the cost of that drug for CML.
however, it is my understanding that some pct's take the chance that individuals are not in the financial position to take their cases to court and this is probably true.

that is why patients and pt. groups like ours must use other resources such as media, the politicians who represent us (your MP), expert clinicians, and NICE. it is very important that we work towards getting all the new TKI's like dasatinib that are in development into the NICE system. if there is no NICE appraisal and guidance then the post code lottery will remain in place.

my understanding of our NHS system requires that we as citizens are fully committed to the idea of an individuals right to access the best possible healthcare which is then provided free at the point of need.

of course it is not really free, we are required to pay into a national insurance scheme.... but the basic belief is that access to the best possible healthcare is a human right.
sandy C ;o)

Hi Elizabeth and Sandy,

Thanks for the feedback. I look forward to the template letters and will distribute them accordingly.

I look forward to hopefully meeting you in Scotland this November.

Bill