Scots women denied cancer drug available to English

WOMEN in Scotland have been denied access to a new cancer drug which was trialled here and is available in England, it was announced yesterday.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) rejected Avastin for women with advanced stage ovarian cancer. The decision comes despite evidence that it is the first new drug in years that halts progression of the disease for up to six months more than chemotherapy alone.

It was successfully tested in Scotland as part of a Europe-wide trial and has been offered to women south of the Border on the NHS since it was licenced as an ovarian cancer drug by the European Medicines Agency last December.

The SMC said manufacturer Roche UK had not demonstrated that the drug offered value for money to the NHS, and based its submission on an “unlicensed” dose from another trial which was outside the watchdog’s remit.

Scots charities, consultants and cancer survivors attacked the decision, which was branded further proof of a north-south divide in cancer care.

The Scottish Government’s health and sport committee is already investigating how the SMC assesses newly licenced medicines amid growing ­concerns.

A spokeswoman for charity, Target Ovarian Cancer, said: 
“The drug is a rare glimmer of hope for women with ovarian cancer, and is available in all regions of England through the cancer drugs fund, so it is extremely frustrating that patients are being prevented from accessing it in Scotland.”

Rona Passmore, from Dunbar, took part in the Scottish trial. She is among the 650 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in Scotland.

It is thought around half could benefit from Avastin.

Ms Passmore said after taking part in tests it was “especially unfair” for Scottish patients to be denied the drug.

Dr Nicholas Reed, cancer consultant at the Beatson Oncology Centre, Glasgow, condemned the SMC for “depriving patients of a clinically effective drug”.

John Melville, general manager at Roche UK, warned: “The Scottish Government must act to prevent Scotland falling further behind England in access to innovative cancer drugs… or face a negative impact on clinical research… [and] increasing difficulties in recruiting and retaining the best clinicians.”

The UK has one of the highest rates of ovarian cancer, and deaths from the disease, in Europe, with more than 4,000 women dying each year.