UK Cancer Drugs Fund

[MaudMarie]

NHS England has agreed to increase the annual Cancer Drugs Fund by 40%.

This is a recognition of the need to enable cancer patients to access new and innovative therapies.

The letter from the CEO of NHS England to the Chair of the Cancer Drugs Fund is on the NHS website. england.nhs.uk/ news article dates 28 August 2014.

I hope that some of the lobbying by CLLSA patients in the UK has contributed to this decision. There is much more to do.

[Newdawn Administrator]

Yes it's good news indeed MaudMarie. I posted earlier on the subject on this thread. Dick's response to it is very interesting. I hope that collective pressure from all affected by cancer has contributed to the decision but as you say there's so much more to do.

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Newdawn

[MaudMarie in reply to Newdawn]

Thanks Newdawn. I believe that both Ibrutinib and Idelalisib have been put forward to the CDF committee for review. Although the drugs have been approved by the European Drugs Agency it will be many months before we know whether they will be put forward to NICE for a full appraisal by the Secretary of State for Health. CDF could provide a helpful interim step but there is no guarantee at this stage that these drugs will get on the list.

Meanwhile patients needing treatment should talk to their haematologists about the new trials using some of the novel innovative therapies that are starting up in England. More information on this is coming soon.

[Kwenda in reply to MaudMarie]

Link to newer page on the BBC website..

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

[Hidden]

One can only hope this will include NHS Wales and Scotlan and N. I.

Does anyone know?

[Haileybury]

It's very encouraging and for me personally. My FCR was halted after two courses as my neutrophils have always been a problem and have now reached 0.5. More problematic is that I have severe pleural effusions since starting chemotherapy. My local haematologist consultant has had approval from Dr Anna Schuh in Oxford to be assessed there with a view to me getting Ibrutinib on compassionate grounds or maybe getting on to a trial. Fingers crossed.

David.

[MaudMarie in reply to Haileybury]

Hurry David as the Ibrutinib Compassionate access Programme ends in September. Janssen call it a Named Person Access Programme. The trial IciCLLe is Ibrutinib only.

Best wishes and good luck.

[Haileybury in reply to MaudMarie]

Great news. I'm collecting my ibrutinib from Oxford on Monday. Dr Schuh has agreed that I qualify on the named person access. My wife and I are so relieved that I can now resume treatment but on this "wonder drug".

David.