'Outrage' Over Plans To Drop Cancer Drugs

Cancer drug companies say they are "outraged" that their treatments may be taken off a list of approved medicines after a review by NHS England.

More than 40 drugs currently on offer to cancer patients are being re-evaluated as part of cost cutting after the Cancer Drugs Fund overspent by £100m.

Since 2010, the Government has put aside hundreds of millions of pounds for the fund separately from NHS spending on cancer drugs as some treatments cost tens of thousands of pounds a year per patient.

Decisions on future provision are expected next week but some manufacturers have said their products have been earmarked for withdrawal within two months - though patients already using the affected drugs will continue to get them.

Gary Hendler, president of Eisai's global oncology business unit which makes a breast cancer drug called Halaven, claimed the review process was based on "arbitrary scoring" and told Sky News: "We are extremely shocked, what we are asking for is the Prime Minister to pause the current process of rationing cancer drugs."

One breast cancer patient also spoke out about the review.

Shani Lloyd Roberts, 32, has secondary breast cancer and has been taking a life-prolonging drug for 16 months.

It is not yet known whether or not her drug will be offered to new patients but she is concerned about the review cutting choice to cancer patients.

"Why take drugs away that are actually working for people? If someone's going to be diagnosed today, tomorrow, a week or a month down the line, they're not going to be offered the same drug that's working for somebody else.

"I don't understand that, it makes no sense and makes life a little bit scarier."

Cancer Drugs Fund chair, practising oncologist Peter Clark, defended the process: "We need to get maximum value for every pound we spend through the CDF.

"We can no longer sustain a position where we are funding drugs that don't offer sufficient clinical benefit when drugs that will do more for patients are coming on stream."

NHS England said excluded drugs would include some which "offer some benefit but are very costly" and said it was essential that patients were able to access the latest treatments.

It pointed out that there was a formal review process available to affected firms.

Tarja Stenvall, general manager of Sanofi, which says its prostate cancer drug Jevtana and bowel cancer treatment Zaltrap are among those being withdrawn, also called on the Government to halt the process.

The full details of the review will be announced next week.