NICE attacks ‘flawed and inaccurate’ cancer report
pharmafile | May 10, 2007 | News story | |Â Â Â
Andrew Dillon, the chief executive of NICE has hit out at a new report which says the UK has the worst access to new cancer drugs, calling the conclusions flawed and inaccurate.
The Swedish think-tank, the Karolinska Institute, analysed sales of 67 cancer treatments in 25 countries, finding the US, Austria, France and Switzerland among the leaders at making new drugs available.
In contrast, the UK was ranked near the bottom of the league, despite efforts by the country's head of cancer services Prof Mike Richards and NICE.
But Andrew Dillon, the cost and clinical-effectiveness body's head has launched a strongly worded riposte against the report, saying the findings are outdated and contradictory.
The report was financed by pharmaceutical company Roche - which has a strong interest in cancer – an involvement which, according to Dillon, casts doubt on the report's independence.
He said: "This drug industry-sponsored report is flawed, inaccurate and directly contradicts itself in places. NICE has sped up access to effective cancer treatments, Herceptin for breast cancer being a case in point, and a recent report by the Professor Richards, the cancer tsar, showed that the use of NICE-recommended cancer drugs is higher than ever.
"Despite claiming this previously published report has been updated, the authors fail to mention our rapid appraisal process that has been up and running for 18 months, enabling us to issue guidance to the NHS more quickly. Our implementation programme continues to support the NHS to put our guidance into practice so that patients can access NICE recommended treatments. It is the job of NICE to put the health of patients and the public first, not the profits of the pharmaceutical industry."
In particular, NICE says the report contradicts itself regarding its effect on the uptake of new medicines - pointing out conflicting claims which say the body either did or did not accelerate use of taxanes.
Dillon pointed out the report fails to acknowledge NICEs fast-track process which it launched in November 2005, and enables new drugs to be appraised in around six months.
Responding to the criticism, The Karolinska Institute said Roche's sponsorship did not invalidate the findings, which it believes underlines great inequalities across the continent.
Lead researcher Dr Bengt Jonsson told the BBC: "It is our hope that this report will inspire policy-makers and decision-makers to take action to address these imbalances so that access to new innovative cancer drugs does not become dependent on the patient's country of residence.
"Cancer research continues to grow, with many new drugs and treatments expected to be introduced in the coming years. Countries need to address urgently how they are going to accommodate newer drugs into health care systems and pay for them."
NICE's appraisals of cancer drugs have caused a great deal of controversy over the last two years in particular, with more decisions pending.
On 6 June, an appeal will be heard on the use of Lilly's Alimta (pemetrexed), which represents the last chance for patients, supporters and the company to gain approval for the drug to treat non-small cell lung cancer.
