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Mel Mann: 26 years since my life saving miracle

Photo from Mel Mann/LinkedIn

Aug 30, 2024, 16:19

Mel Mann: 26 years since my life saving miracle

Mel Mann, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“It’s the Anniversary of my life-saving miracle. It’s been 26 years since I took that first Gleevec pill in August 1998, 3 and 1/2 years after I was given 3 years to live, as CML was a terminal illness when I was diagnosed in January 1995.

I had no idea that phase 1 clinical trial was going to change medical history.

The targeted pill would go on to work for 12 different cancers, lead to 80 other TKIs and kinase inhibitors and save millions of lives.

I’m amazed that I was participating in clinical trials before the average person knew what a clinical trial was or that they really could work.

How much did you know about clinical trials in 1995? In fact, some people, and even some doctors back then would look at me like I wasn’t all there for trying experimental treatments.

I actually had to change hospitals and doctors after a few exhausting and exasperating conversations about why I felt the need to participate in clinical trials.

Also, I was never informed about clinical trials from any doctors. I learned about them from another patient.

I’m still out here pounding the pavement, as someone who got 27 extra years of healthy living, advocating as the OG and as exhibit A of clinical trials and my motto is “Clinical Trials are a way of getting Tomorrow’s Medicine Today.”

I really mean this, as everyday, I get messages from patients starting on that drug that I first swallowed in August 1998.”

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