Tuesday 19 April 2011

Kidney Cancer drug, Everolimus not recommended for NHS

A drug used for the treatment of a form of advanced kidney cancer is not being recommended for NHS-wide use, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has said.

Issuing its final guidance, Nice said Everolimus - which is marketed as Afinitor and Novartis - "does not provide enough benefit to patients to justify its high cost".
Everolimus is used for the second line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma - a kidney cancer which starts in cells lining the small tubes which help to make urine.
Around 4,000 people are diagnosed with the advanced condition every year and not all these would be eligible for Everolimus, the institute said.
The institute accepted, though, that although research evidence into the effect on survival times was not conclusive, "overall survival gain would be likely to be more than three months".
From Yahoo News.

I wonder if private patients will be allowed to get it. I guess there is a list of drugs that the NHS cannot afford to give all their patients and quarrel between the NHS and some patients desperate for these drug continues... no one can be blamed.

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New season

 I cannot believe I made it back in here for the second time this year.  My new baby is playing/about to cry sort of state in the background...