March 9 2007
Lung Cancer Charity blasts NICE announcement on Tarceva
Mike Unger, Chief Executive, The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, comments:
“We are obviously severely disappointed and disillusioned with NICE’s decision not to approve Tarceva purely on economic grounds.
“It’s the second blow that NICE has dealt to lung cancer patients in a month, following the announcement to decline Alimta – so there are now very few options left for lung cancer patients. This leaves massive inconsistencies in treatment options for lung cancer patients in the UK.
“It’s absurd that Tarceva is available to certain patients in Scotland; but not the rest of the UK. Tarceva is used as a standard treatment in many other European countries and this should be the case here.
Research
“What’s the point in spending millions of pounds on drugs when there’s little chance of them being approved? Despite lung cancer accounting for 22% of all cancer-related deaths, it receives less than 4% of the national research budget. The government needs to review its regulations for researching and testing drugs.
Ethics
“Is it ethical to put patients through clinical trials of drugs like Tarceva when the government has a pretty good idea that it won’t approve the drug due to cost? Essentially they’re creating a dawn of false hope for patients.
Patients Charter
“Health minister Rosie Winterton has accepted and approved our Patient Charter which states that patients should be given rapid access to up to date treatments, so it’s almost as if the government is going back on its word.”
*** Interview Opportunities ***
- Mike Unger, Chief Executive, The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
- Lung cancer patients currently receiving Tarceva
***ends***
Media enquiries contact:
Chris Dolan, Weber Shandwick 0161 238 9424 / 07770 886 939
Claire Atkinson, Weber Shandwick 0161 238 9418 / 07770 886 919
About The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is the only charity in the UK wholly dedicated to defeating lung cancer – the UK’s biggest cancer killer. The charity’s approach benefits current and future lung cancer sufferers alike:
- The foundation funds research programmes to detect lung cancer at a very early stage, which will save lives and is vital to the development of a future therapy.
- The foundation offers patient support, advocacy and an information network providing information, guidance and support relevant to the needs of lung cancer patients and their families.
- The foundation facilitates support groups across the UK that assist sufferers to come to terms with the disease and provide patient advocacy services.
- The foundation operates ‘Quit Smoking’ services for adults (Fag Ends); KATS (Kids Against Tobacco Smoke) educational programme for children which encourages young people never to start smoking; ATYC (Anti Tobacco Youth Campaign) which gives young people a voice, knowledge and skills to campaign about smoking and other tobacco issues;
- The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation runs fundraising events and charity shops, both of which help to generate much needed voluntary donations (public and corporate), on which it relies to continue its fight to defeat lung cancer.
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