Latest News
20th July 2007
No sign of Tarceva ruling
Patients are still waiting to hear whether an appeal over NICE’s refusal to recommend lung cancer drug Tarceva has been successful.
Tarceva manufacturers Roche made their appeal on June 6th and were told a result would be likely three weeks later, but this time-scale has now doubled, with no word on a decision.
Patient Director of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, Joyce Dunlop is not surprised by the delay: “To be honest we added a couple of weeks when we added it to our website as we have come to expect it. If people are hinging on that date and it does not happen then that is another disappointment for them.”
With the average prognosis of lung cancer patients a matter of months, Ms Dunlop says at times there are dilemmas about patients being made aware of new expensive treatments: “There is a bit of you that sometimes thinks that it is a shame that people hear that there are drugs out there. If they are never going to get these drugs then it is even more of a torture to know there are drugs out there that could help.”
There is no indication as to when a final decision will be made. In the meantime patients will not be automatically refused Tarceva as individual decisions are separate from the appeal process.
NICE refused to comment.
13th July 2007
NICE in lung cancer drug U-turn
A drug for a rare form of lung cancer will now be recommended after a change of heart by NHS advisor NICE.
Originally deemed not cost effective, Pemetrexed will now be made available for people suffering from mesothelioma, an asbestos-related lung cancer that is diagnosed in around 2,000 people a year.
Trials have shown Pemetrexed can prolong life in people whose condition is too advanced to operate.
Speaking on the charity’s website, Cancer Research Chief Executive Harpal Kumar said: “This is very good news for those patients who have one of the nastiest and deadliest forms of cancer as this is the only drug that can alleviate their suffering.”
Although welcoming the decision, Consultant Oncologist Dr Clare Ackers, who treats mesothelioma patients in Southampton, is concerned at the time taken to decide on the availability of lung cancer drugs: “The lung patients have not got a particularly long prognosis so sometimes these processes take two, three, four months and for individual patients that is too long. There has to be a way of speeding the decisions up because it is not acceptable at the moment.”
Dr Ackers also suggested that Pemetrexed could help sufferers with non-small cell lung cancer.
Numbers of asbestos-related cancer cases are predicted to drop from 2015 due to new restrictions on the chemical’s use.
6th July 2007
'Which?' report questions pharmaceutical influence
Independent think-tank 'Which?' has slammed pharmaceutical involvement with GPs and patient groups.
The consumer information group's report highlights National Audit Office statistics revealing that more than £850 million a year is spent by drug companies on marketing and public relations.
'Which?' believes this level of involvement could endanger the independence of patient information groups and healthcare professionals.
After questioning 200 GPs 'Which?' found only 7% trusted the information given to them by drug companies as much as independent sources.
The results have perplexed Richard Ley, spokesperson for the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries. He said: "I was not very impressed with what they came up with. It’s right and proper that we should be talking to doctors. What is most important is that it is done in an ethical and responsible manner and that is ensured by the fact that we have a very rigorous code of practice.”
'Which?' also found that the top 5 UK drug companies are funding between them 180 patient groups that provide information directly to patients.
The influence of drug companies within the NHS is currently under scrutiny as part of a government Health Committee review into independent medical body NICE. Speaking at the Committee, Dr Kiran Patel, Chairman of South Asian Health Foundation said: "Without industry backing a lot of these (patient) groups would not exist at all...they need to be congratulated."
29th June 2007
NICE in court over Alzheimer's drugs denial
Alzheimer's campaigners have descended on London for a judicial review into government watchdog NICE's decision to refuse drugs to those with a mild stage of the illness.
The action, the first of its kind against NICE, has been brought by the manufacturer Eisai and Pfizer who currently make the only three drugs available to Alzheimer's sufferers.
Commenting on the announcement of the review in March, NICE Chief Executive Andrew Dillon said: "The reality is that, for Alzheimer's disease, drugs are only part of the care that needs to be offered. Non-drug interventions have an important part to play and the evidence indicates that drugs are simply not effective for some patients.”
Alzheimer's Society Director of Knowledge Management, Clive Evers said: "We are optimistic. We've put a very strong case together, a lot of evidence; it's a very important day for people with Alzheimer's disease and their carers."
Liberal Democrat Shadow Health spokesperson, Sandra Gidley MP hopes the review will acknowledge savings in the cost of care: “With a condition like Alzheimer’s a lot of the benefits are either on the carers or on the people themselves in as much as they need a little less care and help. None of us is convinced it is adequately costed into the equation."
A decision over the availability of the drugs is expected in the next two months.
*Image of pills courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.