Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Scotland is among first to offer meds
Advanced kidney cancer patients in Scotland will be among the first in the world to access a ground-breaking new treatment option.
It was announced this week that the Scottish Medicines Consortium has accepted use by the NHS Scotland of cabozantinib in combination with nivolumab as a first-line treatment for people with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
The decision means that from this week, up to 230 eligible Scottish patients could benefit annually from the treatment combination.
Five-year survival rates for kidney cancer in Scotland are, on average, 15 per cent lower compared to the European average and the lowest among the devolved nations of the UK.
This, coupled with around 1000 new cases of kidney cancer being diagnosed in Scotland each year, means this is a welcome announcement which will increase treatment options and provide hope for many Scots living with the condition.
“The news is a clear demonstration of Scotland being at the forefront of cancer care, with local patients the first to benefit from this treatment approach, said Robert Jones, professor of clinical cancer research at the University of Glasgow.
“With incidence of RCC rising in Scotland over the last decade, this recommendation will mark an important milestone for patients with advanced disease.
“The combination of cabozantinib and nivolumab combines agents which both block the growth of blood vessels in cancer tumours and those which harness the body’s immune system to help find and fight cancer.”
Dr Manjinder Bains, medical director at pharmaceutical company Ipsen UK and Ireland, said:
This will provide comfort and hope to many people affected by RCC Dr Bains
“Through the pragmatic and innovative approach taken by the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland during Covid, we are delighted that Scotland has become the first country in the world to have completed a health technology assessment for the use of cabozantinib in combination with nivolumab in this indication.
“Ipsen has been working in the field of oncology for over 35 years and we are delighted that this decision from the SMC appraisal during this time will provide comfort and hope to many people affected by advanced renal cell carcinoma in Scotland.”