Scots board mulls prostate drug use

SCOTLAND’S drugs advisory board is considering whether to recommend use of a prostate treatment hailed as a breakthrough after it was deemed too expensive for use by the NHS south of the Border.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has ruled that abiraterone, also called Zytiga, is too expensive.

The drug has been seen as a success story in extending the lives of men with late-stage prostate cancer. Cancer Research UK said the draft decision by Nice – which is still open to consultation – made “no sense” and Nice had used the wrong criteria to judge the drug.

Nice has ruled that although abiraterone is clinically effective, it is not good value for money. In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium, advises on whether drugs should be used by the NHS. Its advice will be published in March.