According to a story from the Sydney Morning Herald, Maxwell Hayes thought that is cancer was gone after an eight year period of remission. Then, his mantle cell lymphoma returned. Doctors told Max that he may not have much longer to live. Once this cancer stops grows resistant to chemotherapy, there a few options left. With no where else to turn, Max placed his hopes in an experimental drug called ibrutinib. Although the drug is extremely expensive, he was able to try it through a compassionate use program from the company that developed it. Without it, he would probably be dead.
About Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Mantle cell lymphoma is a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that comprises only about six percent of cases. This cancer affects B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Most patients are diagnosed in their sixties; often it is not detected until it has reached an advanced stage, which makes treatment more difficult. Symptoms include enlarged spleen, enlarged lymph nodes, night sweats, fever, and unexplained weight loss. Mantle cell lymphoma can also affect the digestive tract, bone marrow, and liver. Treatment typically involves high strength chemotherapy, but patients frequently relapse. To learn more about mantle cell lymphoma, click here.
A Sense of Normalcy
Getting treated with ibrutinib has allowed Max to maintain a relatively normal lifestyle. With his mantle cell lymphoma under control, he is able to spend much of his time with friends and family. He is also living a very active lifestyle, and does around 100 km of biking per week.
High Price? No Problem in Australia
The good news is that this beneficial treatment will now be made more widely available in Max’s home country of Australia. Starting August first, the drug will covered under the country’s pharmaceutical benefits scheme. This means that ibrutinib’s steep $134,000 yearly price tag will no longer be a barrier for patients who are seeking to use the drug. This also means that Max no longer has to worry about having long term access to ibrutinib, which has successfully stopped his mantle cell lymphoma from growing.
Now, Australian patients with mantle cell lymphoma still have a fighting chance even after chemotherapy stops working for them.
