Creamy drug to subsidize



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An expensive anti-cancer drug that treats an aggressive form of lymphoma will be subsidized starting next month, which will make it affordable for hundreds of patients

Imbruvica drug is used to treat mantle lymphoma when there is relapse after chemotherapy. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced that as of August 1, Imbruvica would be available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Program.

  Imbruvica will be subsidized from next month. Image: 9NEWS
Imbruvica will be subsidized from next month. Photo: 9NEWS

He will join three other drugs that treat head and neck cancer, blood cancer and the side effects of chemotherapy.

"Its total cost of $ 250 million will help save and protect thousands of patients Mr. Hunt told reporters today in Melbourne

" This will allow families to have the life saves or change their lives. "

"I hope that there will be many families who will be able to give a great sigh of relief, a sigh of relief for financial reasons, but especially for health reasons."

four drugs are expected to help between 4,000 and 5,000 people a year, said Hunt

. Imbruvica in a clinical trial in Melbourne and said the drug worked by targeting a gene that cancer needs to survive, but the rest of the body does not need it.

  Ertugul Delibalta says it would be dead if he had to pay for Image: 9NEWS
Ertugul Delibalta said he would have died if he had to pay for the drugs. Picture: 9NEWS

Patient Ertugrul Delibalta is a 70-year-old retiree who was diagnosed for the first time six years ago and relapsed after about three years

"They said we can no longer do Chemotherapy "If we do chemotherapy again, we kill you," Delibalta told the press.

Mr. Delibalta said that he had been put to the test of Dr. Tam because "it would have been too hard and I would have died" he had to pay for the drug.

© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2018

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