VANCOUVER -- Here at home, after nearly 9 months of fighting Health Canada for access to two experimental drugs, four aids patients are about to begin what may well be life-saving treatment.
TIKO KERR, AIDS PATIENT AND ARTIST, SAYS: "IT FEELS FANTASTIC, IT'S A LONG OVERDO WAIT, I CAN START BREATHING AGAIN."
Starting Thursday, Tiko will begin the new combination therapy as part of a so-called "compassionate clinical trial". Like the others, he's resistant to all other available treatments. Since the fight began for special access to these drugs, one member of the original group of six has died and doctors have been unable to locate another. In recent weeks, one of the other patients has also been in very ill health.
DR. JULIO MONTANER, DIR. OF CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN HIV/AIDS, ST. PAUL'S HOSPITAL, SAYS: "FATHER FORSHAW HAD A VERY ROUGH CHRISTMAS WITH AIDS-RELATED OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS REQUIRING HOSPITAL TREATMENT, YOU KNOW ALL OF THIS, ALL OF THIS SUFFERING ALL OF THIS DELAY. WHAT FOR?"
Even though this fight is over, doctors say the issue isn't yet resolved for others who may find themselves in need of unapproved drugs on compassionate grounds.
DR. MONTANER SAYS: "THE CLINICAL TRIAL IS LIMITED TO THESE PATIENTS SO WHAT DO WE DO, DO WE START ALL OVER AGAIN, DO WE WAIT FOR THE DRUGS TO BECOME AVAILABLE, DO WE PUT PEOPLE'S LIVES AT RISK. IT'S REALLY VERY UNSATISFYING."
Doctors say they should know within two to four weeks whether the new therapy is working for the patients.
Thursday January 12, 2006
