Cancer Advocacy with Pharmaceutical Companies

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While targeted therapies offer higher progression-free survival rates, and are less invasive than standard treatment (such as chemotherapy and radiation), they can also be relatively pricey. Fortunately, our cancer research and patient advocacy experts are able to get the costs of these advanced treatments covered for our clients, much of the time.

What Is Compassionate Use for Cancer Drugs?

Targeted therapies are the newest medical advancement in cancer treatment. It’s quite common for CTOAM to recommend targeted treatments that are already being used in hospitals for one particular form of cancer, but not your unique form of cancer. This is because the most recent research has not yet made its way down to the front lines. Even if all the scientific evidence and clinical trials demonstrate that the drug would be beneficial for you, it might not yet be FDA approved for your particular form of cancer.

So what does this mean for cancer patients who need targeted treatments that aren’t readily available to them?

• How compassionate drug use can benefit you
  Unfortunately, it means that it can be extremely difficult for cancer patients to access the latest targeted therapies without compassionate care or clinical trials. Compassionate care is when a pharmaceutical company grants a patient access to a drug that is not yet FDA approved for their specific condition.

• Why you need an advocate in your corner
  How does one get targeted therapies through compassionate care? The process of accessing drugs through compassionate care is highly restricted – you need an expert working within the field who can demonstrate that you need the drug, and a doctor who will vouch for your case. Without a Cancer Care Research and Advocacy Specialist like with member of our Medical Services Team in your corner, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get compassionate drug use.

• How CTOAM helps cancer patients access treatment
  We provide your treatment team with the necessary scientific evidence that demonstrates you’ll benefit from a particular drug. Our experts provide cancer patients with a report that’s so thorough, doctors are almost always able to make a successful appeal for compassionate access. Most times, when our clients apply for compassionate care, they are able to get the drugs they need for free.

• Other ways to access targeted therapies
  Aside from compassionate care, most cancer patients access these new drugs by participating in clinical trials. Please read more about the benefits of clinical trials, including superior treatment to standard care, and giving cancer patients access to the right targeted therapy for them. Note that compassionate care is often used when there are no current clinical trials for the drug you need.

Cancer Treatment and Compassionate Care

Keep in mind that there’s a huge amount of research already done on these drugs, and an expert like CTOAM’s Alex Rolland knows exactly which drugs will benefit your unique form of cancer. Whenever CTOAM recommends a drug that must be accessed through compassionate care, it is because all of our research shows that the benefits far outweigh any potential risks.

CTOAM has also built trusted relationships with pharmaceutical companies over the many years we’ve been offering precision oncology services. These connections allow for even greater success, by providing you access to the most advanced cancer drugs through compassionate care, at no cost to you.

• Compassionate care resources
  Explore these links to learn more about compassionate use for cancer drugs:
  • Expanded Access to Compassionate Use
  • Clinical Trials and Compassionate Drug Use
  • Compassionate Use
  • What is Compassionate Drug Use?
  • Expanded Access Studies
  • Accessing Clinical Trials

Register for a Precision Second Opinion, to discover how you can access the most advanced tests and treatments that medical science has to offer.

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