Drug fight still on

By Tania Martin
A FORMER Emerald woman who has been fighting to have the cancer drug Herceptin fast tracked on to the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) said the fight wasn’t over despite a recommendation to have the drug listed.
The PBS advisory committee has recommended that the Federal Government subsidises the cost of the drug under the PBS. However, there are still several steps before the listing can occur.
Maree Bissels, a former Emerald resident, said she has been told it could be another six week’s before the recommendation to have the drug listed on the PBS register will be considered by the government.
Mrs Bissels said she will continue to push to have the process sped up so that women who can’t afford Herceptin can access the drug.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Tony Abbott said discussions would now be held with pharmaceutical company Roche Products on the details of the PBS committee’s recommendation.
She said finalisation of the conditions of the listing on the PBS register and the approval from Cabinet has to be obtained before the drug can be listed.
“The government will work as quickly as possible to make a decision on the PBS listing of Herceptin,” the spokeswoman said.
Since November, Mrs Bissels has collected more than 29,000 signatures from every corner of Australia pushing to have Herceptin fast tracked on to the PBS register.
Mrs Bissels was compelled to fight for the drug after being diagnosed with a rapidly growing form of breast cancer called HER-2 positive.
She started a petition campaign after being told by her oncologist that Herceptin, a drug that would help prevent the onset of secondary cancer, was only available to women with terminal cancer.
Herceptin costs $70,000 per year, but the Federal Government had not budgeted for its inclusion on the PBS register until 2008.
Mrs Bissels said it was unfair that she not only had to fight her cancer but also had to fight for the medication that she needed and set about to gain support from women across the country.
Despite, the PBS advisory committee recommendation, Mrs Bissels said she would not be celebrating until Herceptin was placed on the register.
She said Mr Abbott should not hesitate a moment longer before putting Herceptin on the PBS register.
Mrs Bissels said the fight was not over yet and that she was continuing to collect signatures.
“I am still plugging away and putting pressure on the government. You can’t relax on an issue like this or the government will just push it aside,” she said.