Sanofi Genzyme’s Jevtana approved for routine NHS use in Scotland

Sanofi Genzyme has announced that its cancer drug Jevtana has been approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).

The regulator has approved the therapy for routine use by NHS Scotland for the treatment of metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer, aligning Scotland's policy with those adopted by health authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Jevtana is the only chemotherapy option available on the NHS for advanced prostate cancer that is not responsive to hormone therapies following initial chemotherapy, and has been shown to help improve rates of survival.

The SMC initially rejected the drug in June, but the submission of an updated application by Sanofi Genzyme has helped to reverse this decision.

Dr Jasmin Hussein, oncology and immunology franchise director for the UK and Ireland at Sanofi Genzyme, said: "Through ongoing collaboration, our treatment can now be accessed by all doctors who treat patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer in the country."

Nearly half of all Scottish men will be affected by a prostate disease at some stage of their lives, with prostate cancer ranking as the country's most common form of male cancer.

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