6 September 2015 - Matthew Fijolkowski says he wouldn’t be here today if he hadn’t got access to a miracle treatment for leukaemia that is tripling the life span of terminal patients.

And he can’t understand why the life changing $140,000 a year treatment ibrutinib that helps seven in ten patients has been knocked back for government subsidy.

The forty nine year old father and Melbourne financial consultant had to borrow money from relatives to get access to ibrutinib drug for a few months to make him fit enough for a bone-marrow transplant.

The treatment was so successful he considered staying on ibrutinib for life but couldn’t afford the $12,000 a month bill.

For more details; go to: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/the-life-saving-black-magic-pill-that-costs-140000-a-year/story-fntzoymh-1227514117424

MAESTrO Insight: Mathew Fijolkowski has chronic lymphocytic leukamia (CLL). The PBAC will consider a resubmission for ibrutinib (Imbruvica) for certain patients with CLL at its next meeting in early November.