Need to get onto Tykerb
 

Hi. I'm in Australia and unfortunately tykerb is not available here. Can someone help direct me to an oncologist or some one from whom I can purchase tykerb from over there in the States? I would like to get on to it ASAP and happy to travel over. Thank you. Brony

I wish I knew, Brony! Hopefully someone here might have info for you... best of luck!

Brony,

There are several clinical trials ongoing in Australia, have your oncologist check into them:


http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/sea...&submit=Search

Regards
Joe

Good news?
 

Hi Brony,

Tykerb was launched in Australia in August and I have heard that there is a program where it is available free if your doctor registers you. Might be worth looking into?

Best of luck.

: )

Brony
Have you considered a Second opinion in the USA, some hospitals offer this to international patients.

Here is a link to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center located in New York.
They offer information for international patients.
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/5264.cfm
Here is a link to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Texas
http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/ipc/

I truly wish you the best.

Hi Brony
I've been on the Tykerb/Xeloda EAP since Jan through Dr Jodi Lynch in Sydney. My Onc in Canberra mentioned to me about 3 months ago that all oncs would soon be able to prescribe it. T/X has now stopped working for me so not sure if all oncs can now prescribe it. He did mention to me just before my last scans that I need to speak to Dr Lynch about coming off the trial so he could prescribe it. You may need to speak to your onc again, maybe he/she is not up to date. Also I've never heard it call Tykerb here, always Lapatinib. Hope this helps.

Tykerb in Sydney
 

Hello Brony,
Tykerb is currently being issued by the drug company free to certain cancer centres for women who meet the criteria. It is part of the Drug familiarisation program until a ruling is passed by the govt as to whether to make it available on Medicare. If it is not passed then it will have to be paid for.

The criteria are; you must have had,

• an anthracyclane (Epirubicen etc)
• a year of Herceptin that is no longer working
• metastatic breast cancer
• chemotherapy -Taxane

It is being issued with Xeloda (chemotherapy tablet) as that is the basis of the research .
Speak to your oncologist about it.
Good luck
Adrien

Hi Brony, I live in Rozelle (next suburb to Adrien, we are neighbours!) and have been getting Tykerb (Lapatinib) from Royal Prince Alfred hospital. I have been on it 2 weeks and had no trouble getting on it.
Regards, Roz

St Vincents in Melbourne
 

Has Tykerb on trial.Phone 03 92883155

HI Brony,
Have you been able to get onto TYkerb?
I sent you a private message about a week ago.

HUgs,
Gem

Dear Brony,
Tykerb is going before the next meeting of the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, which meets from October
31-November 2 (end of this week), to consider (amongst many issues)
whether Tykerb should be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Listing on the PBS would mean subsidised access to the drug for all
eligible women. However if Tykerb is not listed, this should not affect current access to Tykerb through the Tykerb Access Program.

At this stage, GlaxoSmithKline have advised that they will continue
to accept women into the Tykerb Access Program until November 30. Women
in this program will continue to receive Tykerb at no cost. Between
November 30 and March 2008 any women wanting to access Tykerb who are
not currently on the Program can join under a cost sharing arrangement.
Details of this have not yet been released.

So the bottom line is that regardless of whether Tykerb is approved for
listing on the PBS, this should not alter current access to the
drug through the Tykerb Access Program.
Hope this helps,
Adrien