New cancer drugs on NHS after price deal

Published on Monday 9 November 2009 21:51

HUNDREDS of Scottish patients will be able to benefit from expensive new drugs, following a groundbreaking deal between the NHS and pharmaceutical companies.

The agreement will save the health service in Scotland tens of thousands of pounds every year. People who have cancer will be among the first beneficiaries of the deal, which aims to limit the controversy over sufferers being denied access to life-saving drugs.

It means in some cases companies will pay for therapies in patients who do not respond – essentially a money-back guarantee – or pick up the bill for part of the cost of treatment.

The high price of many new treatments has created a growing dilemma for the NHS, with a limited pot of money meaning some treatments have not been available. But yesterday, after months of negotiations, drugs watchdogs in Scotland announced the landmark deal.

Campaigners welcomed the move, which comes two years after similar schemes were first given the go-ahead in England and Wales.

So far, two drugs have been approved under the new system. But it is understood a number of other deals – with the potential to save the NHS many thousands of pounds on the standard costs – are being considered by experts.

Cancer Research UK yesterday welcomed the new deals – known as patient access schemes (PAS) – in Scotland. "It is essential that patients get access to the treatments that will benefit them," Sarah Woolnough, the charity's head of policy, said. "This decision demonstrates that the patient access schemes unveiled earlier this year can improve access to clinically effective drugs that might not otherwise be available.

"We hope pharmaceutical companies and the Scottish Medicines Consortium will together continue to make the best use of this initiative and allow patients access to the most effective treatments."

Earlier this year, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced the SMC would be allowed to consider patient access schemes when deciding whether to approve drugs for use by the NHS.

The first drugs to be approved were revealed yesterday as Velcade and Sutent.

Velcade has been approved for use in patients with multiple myeloma – a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow – who have received at least one previous treatment. Previously, patients would have to have tried at least two other treatments before getting access after their second relapse.

Under the deal with drug-maker Janssen-Cilag, the NHS will pay for Velcade only if patients respond to the treatment. If it does not work, the company will pick up the bill.

Velcade costs about 3,050 per cycle. The number of cycles a patient needs ranges from four to eight, meaning the cost is roughly between 12,000 and 24,000 per patient. SMC said it was estimated 355 patients a year would be eligible for treatment. After five years, the treatment could cost the NHS 1.38 million with the deal in place.

The SMC also recommended Sutent for the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal tumour. Under the PAS, those eligible for the treatment would have their first course paid for by the drugs company Pfizer – saving the NHS about 3,100 a patient. The company estimated about 14 patients a year would be suitable for treatment, costing the NHS 239,000 a year after five years.

In England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has allowed cost-sharing schemes since October 2007, when Velcade was the first to be approved. Since then, a number of other drugs have been approved.

One such scheme was for Lucentis for treating age-related macular degeneration. The NHS pays for the first 14 injections, with the drugs firm funding any further treatments. Each injection costs about 760.

The SMC previously approved Lucentis without the deal in place, but since the end of September, Scotland has also benefited from the reduced cost.

Campaigners yesterday welcomed the moves to make more drugs available.

Myeloma UK has campaigned for several years to give Scottish patients access to the treatment. The charity's chief executive, Eric Low, said:

"Until today, Scottish myeloma patients have incredibly had no novel drug approved for use when their myeloma first comes back. I commend the Scottish Government, SMC and the drug company for finding a practical solution to benefit patients."

Peter Barnes, of Janssen-Cilag UK, said the company was committed to providing drugs for unmet medical needs, as well as value for the NHS.

Using cost-sharing deals, several other drugs have been approved by Nice. It is hoped the same deals will be offered in Scotland. A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Patient access schemes are a way of potentially reducing the overall cost of innovative medicines to the NHS and ensuring new drugs are available to patients as quickly as possible."

News of treatments 'gives me great relief'

FOR myeloma patient Dr Robert McFadzean, knowing new treatments will be available to treat his disease is a great relief.

Dr McFadzean was on a trip to the US when he developed acute pneumonia. He managed to return home and was admitted to the Western Infirmary in Glasgow for tests.

He was diagnosed with myeloma in March 2007. "It was during the course of those investigations they realised there was an abnormality in the proteins in my blood," he said.

Dr McFadzean, 67, from Bearsden, said: "To know that there is an effective drug definitely available to me when the myeloma eventually comes back gives me great relief."