BREAST cancer campaigners have welcomed talks aimed at making a life-extending drug available to women in Scotland.
Perjeta, which has been shown to extend survival for up to 16 months in terminally ill patients, has been available in England and Wales for four years.
However, patients and campaigners north of the Border have been repeatedly disappointed after applications to make it routinely available on NHS Scotland were knocked back three times in a row.
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The last time it was rejected, in June 2017, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) said the drug was "very expensive" and would not be a "good use of limited NHS resources".
However, it emerged that Scottish Government officials met with representatives from the drug's manufacturer, Roche, on January 30 this year.
The Roche team also held talks with the procurement division of National Services Scotland in February. Health Secretary Shona Robison said both sides "plan to hold further discussions".
It is believed that this could signal a fresh bid by Roche to have Perjeta accepted by the SMC, as well as attempts to negotiate a price that would meet strict cost effectiveness protocols.
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It is routinely prescribed in England and Wales to women with incurable HER2 positive breast cancer, which has spread.
However, in Scotland patients only access to the treatment is through individual patient treatment requests (IPTRs), where their consultant will seek funding for it from the health board on a case-by-case basis.
Lawrence Cowan, Scotland Manager at Breast Cancer Now, said: “This is a positive development but we now need to see it lead to long-awaited routine access for patients.
"Roche, the NHS and the SMC all need to work together to reach a deal – and fast – to ensure hundreds of women living with incurable breast cancer can be given more time to live.
“The fact that a deal has been reached in England and Wales on Perjeta proves that it is possible for this drug to be made available at a price the NHS can afford. Women with secondary breast cancer in Scotland don’t have time to lose.
“Perjeta’s benefits are extraordinary, offering women with HER2 positive secondary breast cancer almost 16 precious extra months with their loved ones on average, compared to existing treatments.
“Every woman with incurable breast cancer deserves the best chance at life no matter where in the UK they live. That’s why it’s so important that everyone works together to unlock drugs like Perjeta in Scotland.”
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The talks emerged in a letter from Ms Robison to Shadow health secretary, Miles Briggs, who has been campaigning on the issue on behalf of his Lothian constituents.
Mr Briggs said: “It’s completely unacceptable that breast cancer patients in Scotland are denied access to a crucial drug which is available elsewhere in the UK.
“It’s a postcode lottery which can devastate women’s lives.
“That has to change, and I’m glad meetings are now taking place between the Scottish Government and the manufacturers.
“It’s now incumbent on both parties to ensure a deal can be struck to make this medicine available for use as soon as possible.
“The disparity on this matter cannot go on any longer.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Decisions made by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) are independent of Ministers and Parliament.
“Changes made by the Scottish Government in recent years, and the commitment of significant investment, has resulted in greatly improved access to new medicines - particularly for cancer - and we are naturally keen that this continues.
“That is why it is important that pharmaceutical companies ensure that they offer medicines at a fair and transparent price to allow patients in Scotland to get access to the breast cancer treatments they need.”
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