China cancer patient who inspired hit film hopes to stop treatment after 35,000 pills over 2 decades
Lu Yong, who has a slow-growing blood and bone marrow cancer and inspired the 2018 blockbuster Dying to Survive, has begun reducing his medication and hopes to stop taking it completely within three months. The acclaimed film is based on Lu’s experience. He has chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and helped patients across China obtain affordable, life-saving generic drugs from India, but was…
Lu Yong, the cancer patient whose story inspired the 2018 film Dying to Survive, is now planning to discontinue his medication after 24 years of taking more than 35,000 pills. The 58-year-old, who battled slow-growing blood and bone marrow cancer, has taken the Gleevec drug for several years, but found the high cost and lack of affordable alternatives intolerable.
In 2004, Lu turned to an Indian pharmaceutical company to purchase cheaper generic drugs that were successfully used to treat his condition. He became an intermediary for other patients, negotiating price cuts to make the drugs more accessible. Despite facing legal trouble for selling "fake" drugs in China, Lu's efforts led to the acceleration of healthcare reforms and expanded public health insurance schemes.
Now, after consulting with doctors, Lu aims to halve his medication and hopes to stop taking it completely within three months. He views this as a rebirth, allowing him to live a more normal life.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
