This is interesting to know, from a presentation I was at last night a Journal related article about
a researchers findings that are hugely significant. Especially because the drugs envolved are already FDA approved for other things, but not for PCa use at this time. So, your insurance company likely to not approve payment or possible risks (although they seem low in this). Since his findings were thus far very much a success in a possible new way to control PCa and even hrpca, it could be huge in the scheme of things. Also, there might be ways to petition the drug manufacture to give you the drugs directly without any costs to the patient and if you have a doc that could write the Rx, perhaps have you sign off on its useage...since this is kind of uncharted territory...maybe someone could try this soon???? I think I would be willing to try it and the results found in patients using these two drugs otherwise, is not that risky, although various side effects are possible, not like it is a big time risk.
Dasatinib (aka-Sprycel) + Cholorquine is the combo. Now Sprycel is said to be expensive at this juncture and maybe has 8 years left on patent, Cholorquine I think is used also in malaria and would not cost that much (will google it right after this post). Neither of these have been used in PCa at all, I believe. The findings by Cheng were that individually these drugs used in testing on PCa had little to no effect on PCa, but when combine had hugely significant results on PCa and this is not a hormone type treatment and the side effects listed maybe be very tolerable for the most part. Good thing someone like this was 'messing' around with novel ideas.
The issue is if you do clinical trials for these for PCa useage it could take 8-10 yrs., and plenty of money to get through even to phase III levels. But, if you go outside the country and work on this, you could bring it to market much sooner elsewhere....this is exactly what 2 companies are doing right now, they see the value in this concept and know it worth persueing. I think the Phillipines might have been one place they are working on this, perhaps they can re-engineer the Sprycel to by pass patents or make a generic equal and the other drug is likely no big deal to add as a combo.
Hopefully we see this is viable down the road. Sprycel is maybe ($8,000) or something ridiculous, but if it outperforms the other expensive things and without huge side effects, it would be a possible winner. Maybe a re-engineered similar drug can be made or newly patented and do the same thing for likely alot less, especially in a foreign country. If we can get this here in the USA as an experimental useage, that could be huge and the findings could be known soon. According to the presentation one of the huge factors of this treatment is the results can be known via psa testings with this, within as little as 48 hours, as to it working in the patient or not....huge comparitively to other protocols. Atleast we see that some are thinking way outside the box and including novel or already approved drugs that have never been used on PCa.
Also, Sprycel + docetaxel has been tested (taxotere) and has some significance found in PCa already...could be an advantage over taxotere-chemo alone. Hope is eternal.
www.northdrugstore.com Sprycel cost (Canada)= $2,825 20 mg 60 count or $5,500 for 50 mg 60 count (not cheap, figure X2 or X3 in the USA as a guess).
Cholorquine costs (USA)= $36.99 for 7 tablets or $217.94 for 42 tablets, 500 mg source is www.drugstore.com
Post Edited (zufus) : 10/12/2011 6:08:50 AM (GMT-6)