the essential
Christophe Tardieu is 47 years old. A former GIGN gendarme, he suffers from a serious neurodegenerative disease, known as Charcot disease.
Christophe, father of two children, was diagnosed three years ago. He knew the symptoms. A close family member died from the same illness a few years earlier. Life expectancy is estimated at 18 months, he knows that. He also knows the inevitable consequences. He experienced them up close, with his cousin who disappeared after around fifteen months.
A promising treatment
And then his neurologist offers him a presumably promising treatment, from the United States. The drug has not yet been tested in France. Christophe will be the first French person to benefit from it. The disease is stabilizing. There is even some progress.
“I can drive and walk again with crutches,” says Christophe. The hope is there. And 18 months are largely exceeded without progression of the disease thanks to monthly injections. However, the drug is no longer authorized in France.
“I learned in the press of the ban on the drug by the High Health Authority (HAS).” A fight begins. With the ARSLA association, an online petition has been created. Then a visit to the Ministry of Health is scheduled. The delegation is made up of a neurologist, members of the association and Christophe to testify to the benefits of the treatment. And exceptionally, the drug is once again authorized by the HAS for one year, the time to prove the effectiveness and analyze the results.
“The illness changed my life, the treatment too, it opened up new perspectives for me,” confides the former gendarme who hopes the treatment will last.
Health
Canada
