This week, a new initiative aimed at getting early acces to treatments for patients, launched its website: MyTomorrows. Our president Peter Kapitein wholeheartedly embraces their approach. This is what he wrote on their website:

Today it takes on average 14 years to go from idea to patient in drug development. Furthermore, it costs around $1.4 billion per new drug. All this, very often for only a few months of life extension. We are just not doing the right things. We can keep talking about it, but one thing is crystal clear:  we are simply not doing the right things. We must do better, and do so faster.

Hans Miller died from a melanoma. Ipilumimab had  already been approved in the U.S., but not yet in Europe. The European Medical Agency (EMA) “needed some more time”. They have their own people and they have to keep them employed. I believe, the FDA and the EMA should agree to mutually approve each others drugs. Because they have shown to be working. This would help patients. Is it acceptable that patients die waiting to justify the employment of regulators?  Of course not.

Consider that it costs $1.4 billion per drug, and that the pharmaceutical industry is currently more inefficient than the financial industry ever was. So be it. But now patients are waiting for drugs which are out there, but have not yet been approved because the procedure is more important than the patient. This is indigestible. Unacceptable. Unfair.

And if you think something is unfair, there are two options: either you keep your mouth shut, or you do something about it. Mytomorrows is doing something about it. They firmly believe the drug development model can be improved. Providing early access to drugs needed by patients and physicians, that’s their mission. I, Peter Kapitein, President and Patient Advocate of Inspire2Live, support this initiative wholeheartedly.

Dr. h.c. Peter Kapitein President and Patient Advocate Inspire2Live Ambassador Alpe d’HuZes Patients First!

For more information please visit: www.mytomorrows.com