WONDER DRUG AVAILABLE TO ALL CANCER PATIENTS Breakthrough after Vicky’s campaign
AN independent tribunal to deal with the Cervicalcheck scandal was announced by the Health Minister yesterday.
Simon Harris revealed the voluntary process which will be held in private.
He said: “The tribunal will allow women to progress their cases in a timely and sensitive, less adversarial manner, while equally respecting the constitutional entitlement of all parties to a fair hearing.
“I will also consider the establishment of an ex-gratia compensatory scheme to deal with any accepted non-disclosure to the 221 women.” Mum Vicky Phelan AN experimental “wonder drug” that shrinks tumours is set to be made available to all women with cervical cancer.
Campaigner Vicky Phelan, 43, insists Pembrolizumab (Pembro) is the reason she is still alive today and she has fought for its wider access.
Professor Michael Barry told
RTE’S Morning Ireland yesterday:
“It will be made available under what we call a managed access programme.
“We will then access the progress at about six to eight months and if people are responding very well with this drug we would continue because the clinical trial, small and all that it is, shows us that 85% will not respond.
“We have no idea who will and will not respond. It’s a way of assuring that everyone gets access to it.” The drug, which costs €140,000 per patient each year, is currently only available to women caught up in the Cervicalcheck scandal.
The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics clinical director Dr Barry said the decision to extend access was made at a ministerial level and he would prefer the normal process.
Ms Phelan expressed her gratitude and tweeted: “Thank you @ alankellylabour for all your hard work and campaigning for equity of access to this drug for ALL women with advanced cervical cancer.”
The mother of two, who has a terminal diagnosis, revealed in June her tumours had shrunk significantly with the drug.
Her High Court case against the HSE saw her awarded €2.5million in a settlement against the US lab that carried out the incorrect test and the scandal involving 221 women unfolded.