The great author was on tv this week criticising the decision by NICE to not make the Alzheimer's drug Aricept freely available to patients who are in the early stages of the disease. The decision was made in 2006 and various groups have campaigned against it on the grounds that it can help in some cases to prevent the progression of the disease.
He is buying his own and says that he and his wife have noted a significant improvement in his condition since he started on it – a big plus for all fans of his books. His arguments are not about his own case but about the thousands of others who are in similar conditions and cannot afford the £17.50 a week that the drug would cost.
Since Terry was diagnosed late last year he has not only helped to raise public awareness of the disease but also donated £500,000 for research – makes a change to see a “celebrity” doing something for the greater general good.
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2 comments:
I hope that much needed promising drug gets into the hands of those that need it. I'm glad he has seen improvement. That's huge!
rt, Indeedy and hopefully it will be cheaper than Aricept! Great news for all fans of TP's work.
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