Minister presented with drug petition

By Tania Martin
HOLT MP Anthony Byrne last week joined a Yarra Valley residents’ fight to have the cancer drug Herceptin fast-tracked on to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), presenting a 10,467 signatory petition to Parliament.
In his speech to Parliament Mr Byrne said the Herceptin campaign had gained the backing of women across the country and went on to urge members of the chamber to support the petition so that women can get the treatment that they deserve.
The Government has now been left to decide how to respond to the petition.
Maree Bissels gathered the signatures over four months in her push to allow people in the early stages of cancer to gain access to the drug on the PBS.
But, since handing over the petitions to Mr Byrne last week Maree has received another 1000 signatures.
Mr Byrne said he first got involved in the campaign after Mrs Bissel’s sister, Jean Hayne, went to his office seeking assistance.
Mr Byrne said Mrs Bissel was a courageous woman and it was an outrage that Herceptin had not been placed on the PBS, as it first became available to people in the terminal stage of cancer in 2001, but is still unavailable for people suffering from the early onset of cancer.
The drug costs more than $70,000 per year per person, but no money has been budgeted for its inclusion in the PBS register until 2008.
Mr Byrne has questioned why it has taken so long to get to this stage as the drug has proved that it can save lives.
Last November Mrs Bissels called for all Australians to join her campaign and sign the petition.
She has also received many notes from people suffering from cancer or have someone close to them who is in the same situation.
Since starting the campaign and after several stories in the local and metropolitan media, she had managed to get almost 10,000 signatures.
Maree said she could not have collected all the signatures without the help of her two sisters, Lynda Sharp and Mrs Hayne, both of Emerald.
Mrs Bissels, now a Yarra Valley resident, was diagnosed with a rapidly growing form of cancer called HER2 positive in June last year.
After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, her oncologist told her that her best chance to ensure cancer did not recur was to take Herceptin, which was not yet on the PBS register.
Mrs Bissels, who started her first Herceptin treatment last week, said it was made possible because her parents paid for the medicine.
She said Herceptin costs $1000 per vial, and intake depends on your body weight and height.
Mrs Bissels said the treatment is needed every three weeks and she only had enough money for one treatment at this stage, which cost almost $5000.
People who want to join the fight to have Herceptin put on the PBS register should send a letter to Mrs Bissels, via Woori Yallock post office at 1185 Warburton Highway, Woori Yallock, 3139 or can send an email to lsharp61@hotmail.com.