Long claimed by patient associations, the Trodelvy, authorized from this Monday, November 1, will finally make its arrival in France.
This innovative treatment makes it possible to extend the life expectancy of patients suffering from aggressive breast cancer, "the triple negative".
Explanations.
Who will benefit from it?
This medication is intended for women with triple negative cancer who have already received two types of chemotherapy, and often at a standstill.
Between 600 and 1,000 women could benefit from it in France.
Why is it only happening now?
Patient associations have been battling for months to speed up the marketing of this drug, already marketed in the United States. So far, only 78 French patients have been able to benefit from it, under a special authorization. The Gilead laboratory, which produces it, ensured that it did not have sufficient stocks to meet the demands. "France was the first European country to be able to benefit a few patients while waiting for production to increase", welcomed Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health. On Monday, the Trodelvy will be authorized for early access and will be able to benefit more patients. The Mobilisation Triplettes collective is hoping for its official launch on the market, and its unconditional access from next year.
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What is its specificity?
Trodelvy is an antibody treatment combined with chemotherapy.
It makes it possible to double “life expectancy”, according to Mobilization Triplettes.
According to the American laboratory Gilead, more than 30% of patients respond to treatment.
How much does it cost ?
Around 60,000 euros per patient.
Are there other treatments?
In the event of a relapse after conventional treatments, there are no innovative solutions.
But research is advancing, especially on immunotherapy.
A study conducted by the Gustave-Roussy Institute has shown an improvement in patient survival.
The establishment has also launched its Compass program, with the objective of evaluating the effectiveness of different combinations of innovative treatments.
The Mondrian clinical trial was launched this year by the Institut Curie and is intended to assess the usefulness of analysis of circulating tumor DNA (tcDNA).
