Tykerb..why the wait.

[IRENE FROM TAMPA]

I hope I am giving you the correct info, but this is what I was told -

There is an ongoing trial in Gainsville that I was trying to get on earlier in the year. It is Tykerb/Herceptin. I qualified for that trial (the critieria for these trials make it tough to get into at times) When I first spoke to the doctor in Gainsville, I had to have had my last treatment and failed and had progression while on Herceptin. I had not been on Herceptin for a year so I started on Taxol/carbo/Herceptin. After a couple of courses, my tumors still grew so we stopped. I was about to get into that trial when I heard of a doctor in Tampa, where I live was applying for the EAP (Tykerb/Xeloda). I decided since that was the one released at Asco I would "wait" for this office to be opened.

I was told if there was a facility with an ongoing trial with Tykerb within 3 miles from me, they wanted me to go there for the trial instead of the compassionate use. They even indicated that they mapped the distance by Map Quest and I was only 2 miles away. My doctors office argued the point that I work and this would be a hardship for me to make that drive weekly.
They approved it and gave me a waiver. This just adding to my fustrations.

Once my doctors office had all of their paperwork in and approved (do contact Joe if you run into trouble. He was a big help with his contact) things went a little smoother. there was alot of paperwork going back and forth between them.

I would check with your doctor to see at what stage of the paperwork they are in. One thing I did do before waiting was to try to be sure that I met all their criteria. If you haven't already done so, have your doctor give you a copy of what GSK requires, as one little thing could throw you off.

Good luck to you and all trying to qualify. I DO know how fustrated I was with the wait and I agree.