Eisai has criticised strongly NHS England (NHSE) for further delaying access to a number of new cancer treatments.
This failure is a result of the implementation by NHSE of a new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), following a consultation NHSE confirmed at their board meeting. Those new licensed drugs that have been denied access since May 2015, will have to wait until at least July 2016 before they can be considered for the fund, though details around this process are vague.
Lenvima(R) (lenvatinib) is one such drug that has been stuck in limbo as a result of the consultation. Lenvatinib is used to treat an advanced form of thyroid cancer and may delay the progression of the cancer to a median of 18.3 months, compared to 3.6 months with placebo. Eisai confirms that patients in England may have to wait for an unspecified period in order to access lenvatinib.
‘This is devastating news for patients with advanced thyroid cancer. These patients may belong to a small group, only 200 patients per year, but their need is great. Lenvatinib can make a real difference to the lives of patients due to its significant progression free survival benefit and so this news is particularly hard to understand, ‘comments Dr Jonathan Wadsley, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, University of Sheffield.
‘This is hugely disappointing news for people living with thyroid cancer that has proved resistant to usual therapies. There are very few treatment options left for those patients whose thyroid cancer is not responsive to radio-iodine. The fact that an approved treatment exists which could delay progress of their cancer but they are not able to access it is particularly heartbreaking,’ comments Kate Farnell MBE, Founder of the Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust.
