How And Where To Get Revlimid In Australia

Hi,

 My father has multiple myeloma.  The doctors have tried alot of treatments but they have not worked.  I have heard alot of good things about revlimid and for my dad, it may be our last hope.

I was under the impression that revlimid is not available in Australia yet.  Does anyone know how and where to get revlimid in Australia.  I live in Melbourne if that helps.  Any help in regards to the above would be greatly appreciated.

All the best.  Thank you

 Lok up www.celgene.com makes of Revlamid.I also sent you a private message.

On 3/31/2007 Monkey wrote:

Hi,

 My father has multiple myeloma.  The doctors have tried alot of treatments but they have not worked.  I have heard alot of good things about revlimid and for my dad, it may be our last hope.

I was under the impression that revlimid is not available in Australia yet.  Does anyone know how and where to get revlimid in Australia.  I live in Melbourne if that helps.  Any help in regards to the above would be greatly appreciated.

All the best.  Thank you

 

Hi Monkey -- I responded to this as a private message, but am not sure whether or not you received it.  I know about the Revlimid situation in Victoria, but not the rest of Australia.  The Peter McCallum Hospital in Melbourne has done clinical trials under Dr. Miles Prince.  Dr. Prince heads the myeloma team at the hospital and is well known in Australia and overseas.  Do you know your dad's paraprotein level?  Who has acutally said that there is nothing more that can be done?  I have been expected to die three times in the past three years (even spent a month in hospice), but here I am!  And at the moment I'm only taking Revlimid!  If you read several of the other messages you will see that there are many people out there who are 'living with myeloma', despite the diagnosis that it is terminal.  Good luck and feel free to write at any time, Cath

Thank you both for the information.

 Poppy, I have also replied to you via email.  I am unsure what my dad's paraprotein levels are.  The thalidamide he was taking with dexamethasone didn't do him any good.  Apparently, the doctors at Royal Melbourne Hospital said that it worked but only 30% and it was actually making him worse due to its side effects.  They decided to take him off all medications that he was previously.  He is only on half a tablet of dex a day at the moment and has pallitive care with morphine patches.  The doctors at the Royal Melbourne Hospital said there was nothing more they could do for him and arranged for him to go home.  After he arrived home, i started doing my own research and have discovered a few treatments that the doctors have not tried.  They have not tried revlimid or velcade.  After receiving your helpful information, i rang peter maccallum institute and asked them if my dad could be admitted for treatment.  They told me to ring back tomorrow to see if there are trials for what my dad needs.  Also, I need a referral as well aparently.  Not sure if they want a referral from my gp or from the doctors at royal melbourne hospital who have already said there is nothing much that they can do for him anymore.  I will try to ring them tomorrow to see if they can do the referral i guess.  I am extremely pressed for time as my dad's condition is not good.  I am not sure, but i wouldnt mind taking him to the emergency department at the royal melbourne even though they have told us not to bring him in as he is on pallative care and they suggest that we use the pallative care services to provide for him.  But that is just helping with the pain and I wouldnt mind him going into the hospital to prehaps stablise his condition a little.  Anyhow, i will be making a number of calls tomorrow to see what i can do.

 Thank you again for your kind help.  It is greatly appreciated and i wish you all the best with everything.