Access To Drugs: ADAP, Clinical
Trials
Deciding whether to treat
or not to treat, or choosing
a the right combination therapy is only part of the battle.
For too many people can not afford health insurance or the $15,000
or more annual price tag for effective HIV/AIDS treatments. Even
for those who can afford to pay, available drugs might not prove
effective. Programs such as Medicaid, Social
Security Disability, and Supplemental
Security Income help people with low incomes get medical
care or financial support. But there are also several programs
and systems that are specially designed to help people with HIV
and other serious, difficult-to-treat illnesses get medications.
AIDS
Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP)
These are state programs that offer free or low cost medications
to people with HIV who have too much money to qualify for Medicaid
but not enough to afford the drugs or medical insurance. Some ADAP
programs also offer help with basic medical care. How much is available
depends on which state you live in. Due to growing budget shortages,
some states have established waiting lists or restrictions on who
can obtain AIDS drugs through these programs. In New York, ADAP's
toll-free number is 800.542.2437.
Other Treatment Options
Expanded Access Programs
AIDS activists fought successfully for the creation of expanded
or early access programs, which offer new drugs before they are
approved for marketing but after studies have demonstrated safety.
The programs are designed for patients for whom existing therapies
are not effective. There is no direct cost to the patient. A
doctor must apply for you, and the drug company usually requires
documentation of your condition and regular reports back from
your physician.
Emergency Use Programs
These are for people who have exhausted every other treatment option
and have doctors willing to appeal for release of a drug while
it is still in an early stage of testing. Access is tightly restricted
and decisions by the pharmaceutical company are made on a case
by case basis.
For a list of AIDS drug trials in your area, call the AIDS
Clinical Trial Information Service (ACTIS) at 800.874.2572. The
AIDS Community Research Initiative of America's (ACRIA) TrialSearch and
the University of California, San Francisco's HIVInSite HIVInSite also
have listings of HIV/AIDS clinical trials. You can also visit GMHC's
Clinical Trials Resource Center, presented in partnership
with Thomson CenterWatch.
© 2006 Gay Men's Health Crisis |
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