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SMC says yes-NHS Scotalnd to fund Sprycel

the SMC has evaluated Dasatinib and given the go ahead for NIS funding of the drug in Glivec resistant chronic stage patients living in Scotland. however they have not approved its use in AC and BC stage patients. this last bit is less than good news for those later stage patients.
we understand that NICE have no plans to assess Dasatinib. BMS have no power to affect this decision but we as patients and group organisers do. NICE does provide a section called
'suggest a topic' where we can as a group and as individuals put forward Dasatinib as a topic for appraisal. CML Support will be doing this but i suggest that as many individuals as possible also take some time to fill in this form. it is simple to do and may help to convince NICE/DOH to change their minds.

copy and past url below for NICE website and online form........

www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=ts.form

url below for Scottish Medicines Consortium website and statement.

http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/smc/AdvicePage_DisplT.jsp?pContentID...

Interestingly, public funding for Dasatinib is now agreed in Scotland, but NOT as yet the rest of the UK.

I think, in these post devolution days, we are going to see an increasing number of funding issues between the various uk nations.
Another example is that in Wales all NHS prescriptions are now available free. This only applies to people living in Wales who have been prescribed medication by a GP in Wales (There are exceptions for patients living on the border of Wales/England)
Health funding is now the domain of the respective governments in the various nations which make up the UK. As a result it will be more difficult to present a 'united front' when making representation concerning funding of new drugs.
Of course NICE continues to be the government appointed body which reviews new treatments and makes recommendations to central government. However, the devolved governments can choose to overide the NICE decisions, as did the Welsh Assembly last year regarding Herceptin (a drug used in treating Breast Cancer) - funding was agreed in Wales before NICE announced their findings. This was largely due to a very effective campaign organised locally and which placed considerable pressure on the Welsh Assembly Government.
It will be interesting to see how people manage to obtain funding in the future.
Paul

Hi,

Thanks for posting this I will make sure I fill in the form.

Interesting though reading the the report/statement. If I am correct in my maths (and most of the time I am not) it looks like this pill will cost approximately £1100ish per year per patient?

----"The manufacturer estimated that the net drug budget impact will be £119k (107 patients) in year 1 rising to £122k (109 patients) in year 5".-------

Am I correct in assuming this would be a lot less than Glivec? Or have I got it wrong? How much does Glivec cost the NHS per patient per year?
Bill

The following gives the most recent cost of these two drugs:

Dasatinib costs are as follows:

20mg Tablet pack 56 £1216.43

50mg Tablet pack 56 £2432.85

70mg Tablet pack 56 £2432.85

Imatinib costs are:

400mg tablet pack 30 £1604.08

100mg tablet pack 60 £802.04

If medication is supplied from a Hospital Pharmacy, add vat at 17.5% to these costs.

Because of the range of doses available, a direct comparison is not that easy.
But hope that these costs will help people work out what the cost will be in any 'case' which they are trying to present to their local Trust/PCT/LHB etc

Paul

It is my understanding, that, while NICE has not looked at Dasatinib, it is approved for use and the NHS is free to provide it if they see fit.

The Times said, this week, that the cost is about the same as that of Glivec, so there should be no incentive not to provide it.

I have also seen the cost of Glivec treatment put at £2500 per month, although I don't know whether that refers to the drug alone.

However, your quote cites "net drug budget impact" which implies that the figure given is the difference between the cost of the existing treatment and the new.

John