Brain injury treatment Etanercept in line for trials, legalisation after push by Queensland families – ABC Online

Posted June 13, 2017 12:54:11

Dianne Haines thinks it is ironic that a drug that is prescribed in Australia to treat arthritis and psoriasis is not available for treatment of stroke or acquired brain injury.

"Yes, the drug is already approved for use and it is approved for use in inflammatory conditions," Ms Haines said.

"So the only thing that is different with this treatment is the method of administration."

The Townsville woman is the primary carer for her 40-year-old son Jeremy Haines who acquired a brain injury in a car accident 38 years ago.

Mr Haines' injuries rendered him hemiplegic he has mobility on his left side but not his right and requires assistance to do basic tasks like eating and dressing.

After decades of physical rehabilitation treatments in Australia, the family were curious to try a treatment only available in the United States injection of Etanercept at the base of the neck.

The drug is commonly prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis but perispinal injection is not yet legal in Australia and has only been available at Florida's Institute of Neurological Recovery since 2012.

In October 2016, the Haines family flew to Florida to receive the treatment at a cost of $45,000 for three injections.

"What price do you put on somebody's pain and to take that pain away?" Ms Haines said.

"The effects weren't as dramatic as we would have liked, for Jeremy [pain reduction] was the only effect.

"The pain is gone so he is moving more freely, he is able to enjoy life more, he is thinking more clearly.

"There are all those follow-on effects from having the pain gone."

Queensland's Griffith University will this year start its own clinical trials of perispinal Etanercept injections.

The trial has been partially funded by the Stroke Recovery Trial Fund, a charity established by Queensland mother Coralie Graham.

Dr Graham's son Joel Shepherd regained his ability to swallow, cough, speak and had vastly improved mobility following persipinal injection of Etanercept in 2014.

Dr Graham mortgaged her home to pay for Joel's treatment in the US and was determined to have the treatment trialled in Australia.

As Etanercept has already been recognised by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration as effective for treating inflammatory conditions, Dr Graham said she was hopeful the perispinal administration of the drug can be expedited.

"Because the Etanercept as a treatment as a subcutaneous injection is already approved and has shown to have very, very minimal side effects, if any ... you would think with the Therapeutic Goods Administration that would shorten the time to availability," she said.

"They don't have to show that the drug itself is safe because they already have that data."

Dr Graham has been lobbying politicians to fast track the approval process and said in addition to providing relief for thousands, the treatment will ultimately save the Government money.

"This is an investment in people," Dr Graham said.

"[It has] huge potential, particularly with the NDIS, if you can improve the quality of people's lives, if you can reduce the care needed, improve people's communication, reduce the amount of pain medication they need. It is going to save money."

Currently, Etanercept is available in Australia for $300 per dose or $37 a dose on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory conditions, including psoriasis.

Ms Haines is hopeful that once approved for use as a stroke or brain injury treatment, more Australian families will be able to take advantage the drug and lower costs.

"Anything that can improve quality of life is worth a try, especially something like this that is so minimally invasive. I can't for the life of me work out why it is not available in Australia now," she said.

Topics: stroke, diseases-and-disorders, brain-and-nervous-system, medical-research, medical-procedures, charities-and-community-organisations, townsville-4810, toowoomba-4350, qld

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Brain injury treatment Etanercept in line for trials, legalisation after push by Queensland families - ABC Online