[Ip-health] Glivec for patients in China?

[Joana Ramos]

Dear  all,

An advocate for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) has
alerted me that patients in yet another country are having  difficulty in
getting Glivec via Novartis'  donation program. This time the complaints
come from  China,, so I'm asking for advice.

You are probably aware that  the Novartis  product Glivec ( imatinib
mesylate) is a very promising new drug for  one type of CML ( and now used
for a certain  GI cancer & in trials some other types) .It has been
amazingly effective for many patients, and  there is no  other equivalent
effective  therapy at present for this  disease.  Glivec, however, costs
about $30,000 USD annually for a customary  dosage  of 400mg/day ( some
patients  need to take more) & Novartis set a global price for it.

Likewise, when the drug got FDA approval, Novartis  made much of the fact
that they were establishing both a US and international donation/patient
assistance  program for it . Here is what is happening :

Patients in China  have reported being turned down when they have applied to
get Glivec from GIPAP, if their incomes are higher than the lowest 10%
income bracket in the country. According to the Chinese Charity Foundation (
CCF)  that handles the applications for Novartis, only  patients with
inocmes of less than 200 RMB ( approx. $24 USD) per month can qualify.  One
month's supply of a 400mg daily dose  of Glivec costs 20,000 RMB, or approx
$2400 USD/month.

CCF says that  in September 2004, Novartis will expand the program to allow
patients with higher inocmes to  particpate, but the  exact eligibility
criteria are unknown at this time.

So far there does not seem to be any  information on if any or  how  many
Chinese pts,  have received  donated Glivec from GIPAP.  Given the economic
realities in China today (average  2002 per capita income  is approx. 3942
RMB or $475 USD in urban areas and  1123 RMB or $135  USD in rural areas ,
per The People's Daily)  very few  cancer patients in the lowest income
bracket are able to even be seen by an oncologist, let alone one who is a
CML specialist registered with the GIPAP program and able to perform the
cytogentic tests required by the program .

These reports have come  from  overseas relatives of these patients, who
have Internet access and can correspodn in English.  They have requested
that  their identities and those of the patients  be kept confidential.

Aside from advising them  about seeking the one  remaining generic of
imatinib,  Veenat, whsoe maker Natco is being challenged by  Novartis in
India, what can be done?

Any & all advice is welcomed.


Joana Ramos, MSW
Cancer Resources & Advocacy
7303 23rd Ave. NE
Seattle WA 98115
206-229-2420