FURTHER GOOD NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA
Remember I told you about the Australian Government subsidizing Alimta so that folk don't have to pay for their own medication? Well it seems that there is additional news connected to this development.
Researchers say the subsidy has paved the way for a national clinical trial of Thalidomide as a follow-up treatment for mesothelioma sufferers.
The Australian Lung Cancer Trials Group plans to recruit 100 Australians who have undergone Alimta treatment to be part of the trial, dubbed MATES (MAintenance Thalidomide in mESothelioma).
Dr Pavlakis, who heads up the trial, said "The ultimate goal is that if we prove the hypothesis of the trial, which is that Thalidomide may actually delay tumour growth and maintain quality of life, ... we could argue for Thalidomide to be given as a standard after Alimta."
Way to go!!