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Maclagan Couple Plea for Subsidy

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

By Stuart Cumming

A decision not to subsidise a rare blood disorder medication has left Maclagan couple Ian and Debbie Goodwin reeling.

Mr Goodwin has been living with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria (PNH) – a rare and life-threatening blood disease — for 23 years. The 41 year-old, his wife and their two children Warren Meeds-Goodwin, 18, and Kiara Goodwin, 8, can not afford the $480,000 a year required for life-enhancing medication Soliris.

Mrs Goodwin said they had hoped the drug would be subsidised under the Life Saving Drugs Program in the last Federal Budget.

“This drug would give him a bit of quality of life,” Mrs Goodwin said.

“PNH attacks red blood cells and causes them to explode.”

Mr Goodwin has regular headaches, abdominal pain and often has blood clots in his liver.

He is also on large amounts of blood-thinning medication to prevent clots.

“There are only about 70 people in Australia with PNH.”

“Soliris would cut all of the symptoms out.”

Minister for Health Nicola Roxon said the government had asked the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee to re-consider Soliris as quickly as possible for a potential subsidy.

 

© APN News & Media Ltd 2010

Source: The Chronicle

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