The decision by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence yesterday to provide expensive drugs, which prolong the life of terminally ill cancer patients, free on the NHS in England, must be replicated in Wales, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister, Peter Black has said.
Nice has issued fresh guidance to the medical committees which assess the cost-effectiveness of treatments, instructing them to be more liberal in the appraisal of drugs for people with incurable diseases. According to the charity Macmillan Cancer Support 10,000 patients a year could benefit. Under the old rules Nice was likely to refuse state funding for costly treatments that could not extend the life of patients by more than a few months.
"As I understand Nice's decision more generous rules will in future be applied to drugs that could offer at least three months more life than existing NHS treatments," said Mr. Black. "This will benefit patients who are not expected to live more than two years. This decision could also lead to a reversal of the draft guidance issued in August that rejected state funding of Sutent (sunitinib), Avastin (bevacizumab), Nexavar (sorafenib) and Torisel (temsirolimus), all drugs that could delay the progression of advanced kidney cancer by up to six months."
"The Welsh health minister has already called for a review of the availability of cancer drugs in Wales so as to ensure a consistency of approach. I would hope that she takes account of this decision by Nice in that review and ensures that funding is put into place across the board for drugs such as Sutent that can extend and improve the quality of life of terminally ill cancer patients."
