Treatment with unfunded drugs in oncology: The impact of access programmes and clinical trials

Abstract

Background: Where proven cancer therapies remain unfunded, patients are faced with difficult decisions regarding personally covering some or all of the treatment cost. Clinical trials provide an alternative form of access to unfunded drugs. Aims: To examine the patient population and utilisation of the colorectal cancer cetuximab Interim Access Programme (IAP) in Australia. Methods: We retrospectively analysed de-identified data collected as part of the costsharing colorectal cancer cetuximab IAP in Australia, which extended from June 2005 until November 2009. The impact of the CO20 clinical trial that opened in early 2008 and provided free access to cetuximab was also examined. Results: Eig..