England Benefits from NHS Postcode Lottery...
Added On : 17th May 2012
England Benefits from NHS Postcode Lottery at Long Last - as Prostate Cancer Wonder Drug Looks Set for Approval South of Border but not in ScotlandA drug to treat advanced prostate cancer should be given to patients in England and Wales, according to the NHS rationing body.
Abiraterone, marketed as Zytiga, can extend the lives of late-stage cancer sufferers by more than three months.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) had originally rejected the drug, which costs around £3,000 a month, for not being cost effective.
It provoked an angry response from both patients and cancer charities.
However, today it revised its recommendations after the manufacturer Janssen offered the tablet at a lower undisclosed price.
If Nice gives final approval to the drug it will have to be offered by the NHS in England and Wales from June.
However, in a reverse of the usual trend the drug won't be available in Scotland. In March the Scottish Medicines Consortium turned the drug down saying the cost of abiraterone did not justify the health benefits. This decision could change as it is still in talks with Janssen.
The new draft guidance has been welcomed by experts.
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: 'This announcement represents a resounding triumph for each of the thousands of men with advanced prostate cancer in England and Wales who know just how much the prospect of precious extra time with their loved ones really means.
'Although today marks a very welcome advancement, it has to be remembered that abiraterone remains out of reach to men in Scotland on the NHS. We need to see every man who needs this drug receive it on the NHS, regardless of where they live in the UK.'
Each year around 37,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 10,000 die from the disease. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in men, accounting for 13 per cent.
Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of Nice, said: 'During the consultation on the draft guidance Janssen, the manufacturer of the drug, submitted further information for the committee to consider.
MEDICAL APARTHEID
Scots have on average 16 per cent more to spend per head on NHS drugs than the English, which has opened up a medical care divide.
Many working patients in England are currently charged £7.40 per prescription even though they are free to all living in Scotland. Prescriptions are also free in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has come under frequent criticism for ruling dozens of life-prolonging drugs are not cost-effective enough.
Here are some of the recent rulings:
In March 2010 Nice turned down the last chance arthritis treatment RoActemra, which is available in Scotland, despite it costing just £25 a day.
In June 2010 Nice ruled that Xolair, used to reduce the number of attacks in severely asthmatic children, was too expensive for under-12s. It costs £12,000 a year and is available in Scotland.
In May 2011 Nice turned down dasatinib, high-dose imatinib and nilotinib, which can give normal life expectancy for those with a rare blood cancer. The treatment costs £40,000 a year and is available in Scotland.
The Government has tried to improve access to cancer drugs in England and Wales by creating a temporary Cancer Drugs Fund.
So far sufferers have been prescribed nearly 10,000 treatments denied to them by the NHS through the £200m fund.
'This included a revised patient access scheme which involves providing the drug to the NHS at a discounted price, further information on which patients would benefit most and clarification on how many patients could receive the drug.
'These factors enabled the committee to revise its preliminary recommendation and now recommend the drug for use on the NHS.
'We are very pleased that Janssen's submission to our consultation means that we are able to produce draft guidance recommending abiraterone - it is an effective treatment, potentially extending life by more than three months, and it also allows patients to be treated at home as it can be taken orally.'
Professor Alan Ashworth, chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, said: 'We are delighted by today's decision to allow patients with advanced prostate cancer to receive abiraterone on the NHS.
'This drug was discovered at the Institute of Cancer Research and is the result of more than two decades of dedicated work by our scientists and collaborators.
'In clinical trials of men with advanced prostate cancer who have already tried chemotherapy, it has been shown to extend life by an average of four months and improve quality of life.'
As Nice has not issued final guidance there is a chance the decision could be appealed against, and NHS bodies should make decisions locally on the funding of specific treatments.
Nice recommended the use of abiraterone in combination with prednisone or prednisolone for the treatment of castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer that has progressed after one docetaxel-containing therapy.
