Efforts to make a vital breast cancer drug, already available south of the border, accessible to women in Scotland have taken a major step forward.
Perjeta has yet to win approval from the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), even though patients in England have been treated with it for more than four years.
The drug can give women with incurable HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer the chance of almost 16 months of extra life.
The SMC last rejected it in June 2017, but it’s now emerged the Scottish Government, the NHS and drug manufacturers are in talks about the drug.
Shadow health secretary Miles Briggs has been campaigning on the issue on behalf of his Lothian constituents, and wrote to counterpart Shona Robison about the issue.
And in her response, she said: “My officials met with representatives from Roche, the manufacturer of pertuzumab (Perjeta), on 30 January 2018. Following on from this, Roche met with NHS NSS National Procurement in February and both plan to hold further discussions.”
The talks provide fresh hope that the drug company could make a new bid for Perjeta to be considered by the SMC.
Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles 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.”