Novartis celebrates a decade of helping Filipino cancer patients

MANILA, Philippines - More than 500 cancer patients, their families and caregivers recently gathered at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Novartis Oncology Access (NOA) program.

“Enhancing access to medicine is a key Novartis advocacy. Ten years after it began, the NOA program continues to help Filipino patients gain access to proven-effective cancer treatments,” said Thomas Weigold, country president and managing director of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

“Cancer treatment puts a heavy financial burden on patients and their families. We laud the NOA program for helping Filipino cancer patients receive effective cancer therapies,” said Health Secretary Enrique Ona.

The NOA program is an innovative shared-contribution access program that evolved from the Glivec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP). Launched worldwide by Novartis in 2002, GIPAP is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching cancer patient access programs ever implemented on a global scale. It is the first global direct-to-patient access program.

Since 2002, GIPAP has provided Imatinib at no cost to more than 50,000 patients in 81 countries. Imatinib is a proven effective treatment for several forms of cancer, including Philadelphia-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML), gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), and Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL).

GIPAP was launched in the Philippines in 2003 and broadened in 2008 to the NOA program. When Nilotinib received local regulatory approval, it was also included in the NOA program. Nilotinib is a Novartis product that is a proven effective treatment for Ph+ CML in adult patients who are newly diagnosed, resistant or intolerant to Imatinib.

Since then, GIPAP and NOA have helped provide Imatinib and Nilotinib to about 3,000 socially disadvantaged Filipino cancer patients. The NOA program has helped save the lives of many Filipino patients with cancer.

Novartis Healthcare Philippines helps Filipino patients enrolled in the NOA program comply with treatment by donating the portion of the cost of their full-year Imatinib/Nilotinib treatment that they cannot afford to pay. Also included in the NOA program are Everolimus, a targeted therapy for several forms of cancer; and Deferasirox, a drug used to remove excess iron in the body of patients.

“Effective cancer treatments are crucial in improving outcomes and prolonging survival. For the last 10 years, this is exactly what the NOA program has helped provide to Filipino cancer patients,” said Dr. Ma. Angelina Mirasol, president of the Philippine Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

“Congratulations to the NOA program for a decade of service to Filipino patients with cancer and their families. We are honored to be part of this celebration of life,” said Dr. Felycette Gay Martinez-Lapus, president of the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology.

“We salute the courage of NOA beneficiaries and their families — they are real-life heroes. Our heartfelt gratitude to our partner doctors and nurses who tirelessly care for cancer patients,” said Bibiane Fontejon, Oncology Business Unit head of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

To date, there are 1,400 active NOA patients in the Philippines being treated by almost 300 partner-physicians across the country who oversee the cancer management aspect of the NOA program.

To ensure patient access to treatment, the NOA program continues to partner with The Max Foundation, a US-based non-profit advocacy and patient support organization dedicated to improving the lives and survival rates of patients with blood cancer and rare cancers worldwide; CIBI Information Inc., a local credit investigation agency that assists in financial eligibility screening of patients; and MedExpress, a designated pharmacy partner that dispenses Imatinib and Nilotinib treatments.