Prostate cancer victims should have access to a new drug that is shown to have a positive clinical
impact on their state.
That is the view of Cancer Research UK, which is actively seeking an end to
the dispute over abiraterone.
The drug has been rejected by the National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence (Nice), which suggested it is not cost-effective for the NHS to
stock it.
According to Nice, abiraterone's manufacturer, Janssen, is asking for too
high a price in order to make it widely available in the UK.
But that stance is not pleasing Cancer Research UK, whose chief clinician
professor Peter Johnson stated: "At the moment it is too expensive and
Nice must find a better way to ensure drugs that are already working for
patients get approved."
Prostate cancer is now the most common form of the disease among men in the
UK, although it is relatively rare in those younger than 50.
© Adfero Ltd
Prostate cancer treatment news : 6 February 2012
