Charities urge greater planning for arrival of new drugs

More should be done to plan for the arrival of new drugs to ensure they are available to everyone who needs them, according to new claims from charities.

The comments follow controversy over the Roche breast cancer drug, Herceptin, after warnings from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust and East Anglia University that the expense of the drug could mean other patients are denied therapies for other conditions.

Dr Sarah Rawlings, head of policy and information at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said it is “essential” that these issues are addressed urgently, while remembering that this problem applies to many more drugs than Herceptin.

She remarked: “With science moving so quickly and many more new treatments in the pipeline, it’s vital that effective planning is in place to pay for these drugs as and when they become available.”

A spokesperson for Breast Cancer Care echoed the comments of Dr Rawlings, saying that it is “essential” that all patients receive the best treatment as prescribed their clinical. This would give them the best chance for “recovery and survival”, the expert added.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust estimates the cost of Herceptin treatment to be 1.9 million pounds, increasing to 2.3 million pounds after costs.