Blyth cancer sufferer's anger as drug is rejected

Posted by The Journal on Nov 25, 09 02:53 PM in News

Cancer sufferer Guy Hedley with his daughters Amy, left, and Claire A cancer sufferer has slammed the Government for failing to approve a life-prolonging drug.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) rejected Avastin as a treatment for bowel cancer in a draft recommendation yesterday.

The drug, which costs about £1,800 a month, has been shown to shrink tumours in 78% of patients when it is added to other chemotherapy drugs.

This could help patients become eligible for surgery, although the drug itself is not a cure.

Avastin is suitable for patients with advanced bowel cancer, where the disease has spread around the body, and could potentially extend the lives of some 6,000 people a year in the UK.

But the health watchdog turned it down for use on the NHS - because it is too expensive.

Dad-of-two Guy Hedley, from Blyth has forked out over £11,000 to fund Avastin himself.

The 47-year-old, who was diagnosed with the cancer in June last year, was hoping that NICE approval would pave the way for treatment on the NHS.

But he has vowed to fight on for the potentially life-enhancing drug, despite the recommendation.

Speaking from his home in Cambo Close, Mr Hedley said: "I just thought, 'here we go again'. "The NHS won't give way on this. They keep refusing it."

Mr Hedley, who has previously been turned down for exceptional circumstances treatment with Avastin, added: "It's a postcode lottery.

"I know the NHS has to spread their resources out between everyone, but in my opinion they don't do enough for cancer patients."

Now, pharmaceutical giant Roche, who produce the drug, is hoping to strike a deal with NICE.

They have offered a patient access scheme to reduce the costs to £36,000 per quality adjusted life year - but this is still above the £30,000 NICE threshold.

John Melville , general manager at Roche UK, said: "We are in an unfortunate passport prescribing situation with Avastin, whereby patients in Australia, Canada and most of Europe gain access, but patients in the UK don't."

Dr Carole Longson, director of the health technology evaluation centre at NICE, said the draft guidance was out for consultation.

"NICE has the difficult task of ensuring that NHS money is spent effectively, and in doing so it has to balance the additional therapeutic benefit offered by these new treatments against their cost.

"The committee recognised that Avastin may provide benefits in terms of clinical effectiveness.

"However, the uncertainties in the economic analysis and, in particular, the proposed patient access scheme led the committee to conclude that it is not a cost-effective use of NHS resources."

The North of England Cancer Network's cancer drug approval group have also rejected the treatment. A spokesperson said: "We know that it is distressing for patients to be told that a drug is not being made available to them on the NHS.

"The use of Avastin was rejected in 2007 as a treatment for colorectal cancer and, following a recent review, NICE again reached the decision that Avastin does not represent a cost-effective use of NHS resources.

"We would always urge patients to discuss their alternative treatment options with their cancer consultant."

Pictured: Cancer sufferer Guy Hedley with his daughters Amy, left, and Claire

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