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Cancer patient welcomes appeal over new drug
A DRUG that could help prolong the life of an Aylesbury man might now become available to him.
Rod Montgomery contacted The Bucks Herald after he was told that the drug Erlotinib (also known as Tarceva), that would mean he takes a drug once a day at home rather than going to hospital for an intravenous drip, would cost too much at 33 a day.
Appeals were lodged to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) by the manufacturers Roche Products Limited, the Royal College of Physicians, Association of Cancer Physicians, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Cancerbackup and some of these appeals have been upheld.
The decision of the appeal panel means that the appraisal is being returned to the independent appraisal committee.
Professor Peter Littlejohns, clinical and public health director at NICE, said: "The appraisal on (Tarceva] for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer will be returned to the committee for further consideration. Until NICE issues final guidance on the use of (Tarceva] for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer, individual cases should be assessed at a local level within the NHS. Once NICE issues its guidance on a technology it replaces local recommendations and promotes equal access for patients across the country."
Mr Montgomery said: "I've lodged my own personal appeal and people have written about me so I am in a stage where I am sort of waiting now. I'm now on the second cycle of chemotherapy and it's all making me feel extremely worn out and I haven't got any energy at the moment."
Buckinghamshire Primary Care Trust stand by a statement they made in September in which they said that drugs not provided by the National Health Service NHS would be given a low priority.
They said: "Currently (Tarceva] is not licensed for advanced or metastatic disease by NICE. It should also be stressed that Erlotinib is also a chemotherapy drug and thus in that respect would not necessarily be less unpleasant than another form of chemotherapy.
"The panel did not approve its use as they felt the patient's circumstances did not warrant deviating from alternative options available on the NHS."
John Melville, Roche general manager in the UK, said: "We are confident that Tarceva is clinically and cost effective."
Roche has now decided to introduce an interim access programme that will provide Tarceva to the NHS at a reduced price.
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Weather for Aylesbury
Friday 25 May 2012
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