Early-stage breast cancer drug approved
● Decision leads to calls for Perjeta to be rolled out to those with incurable illness
Hundreds of breast cancer patients in Scotland are expected to benefit after a sought-after drug was approved for use by the NHS.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has given the green light to Perjeta as a new treatment option before surgery for patients with early-stage breast cancer.
The decision brings patients in Scotland level with people in this category south of the border – a fact welcomed by campaigners who have fought for access to the drug.
Hundreds of breast cancer patients are expected to benefit after a sought-after drug was approved for use by the NHS in Scotland in certain circumstances.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has given the green light to Perjeta as a new treatment option before surgery for patients with earlystage breast cancer.
The decision brings patients in Scotland level with people in this category south of the border – a fact welcomed by campaigners who have fought for access to the drug.
However, they have now called on the SMC to approve Perjeta for patients living with secondary, incurable breast cancer. A decision on that issue is expected in January.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, head of Breast Cancer Now, said: “This is an important step forward for Scottish patients. “We are delighted Perjeta will now be used in treating early breast cancer before surgery on the NHS in Scotland, as it is elsewhere in the UK.
“But the real test for this drug, and the appraisal system in Scotland, is still to come. While we’re delighted Perjeta will offer a new option for some patients with early breast cancer, it stands to make the greatest difference for those with incurable ‘secondary’ breast cancer – and yet it is still not routinely available in Scotland for that purpose.
“For women with incurable cancer, this drug could be lifechanging – offering nearly 16 precious extra months of live on average, compared to existing treatments.
“Perjeta has been the standard of care for women with incurable Her2-positive breast cancer in England for five years and it is now also available for routine use on the NHS in Wales and Northern Ireland. It is totally unacceptable that women in Scotland are missing out – this injustice must end. With a decision imminent in the New Year, we desperately hope Roche, the SMC and the Scottish Government have done enough to enable Perjeta to be approved for everyone who could benefit from it.”
Perjeta, also known as pertuzumab, was accepted for use at an early stage and prior to surgery following consideration via the SMC’S patient and clinician engagement (PACE) process, for medicines used at the end of life and for very rare conditions.
Dr Iain Macpherson, consultant medical oncologist at the Beatson Cancer Centre in Glasgow, said: “We often treat patients with Her2-positive early breast cancer with a course of chemotherapy and trastuzumab to shrink their cancer before surgery. By adding Perjeta, we increase the chances of eliminating the cancer in the breast and we know this is associated with good long-term outcomes. This is a positive development for patients with breast cancer in Scotland.”
Manufacturer Roche has estimated that 415 patients per year in Scotland could be eligible to receive Perjeta before surgery.
Richard Erwin, Roche’s general manager, said: “We’re delighted by this news, which is the result of a successful collaboration between Roche and SMC. Roche will now work closely with SMC to enable patient access to Perjeta in its other licensed indications .”
Scottish Conservative MSP Miles Briggs, who lost his mother to the disease when he was seven years old, has campaigned for the drug to be available to all women who need it.
He said: “This is a big step forward, but it isn’t far enough. We now need to see action to deliver access to Perjeta for secondary breast cancer patients in Scotland too. We must ensure women with incurable cancer, for whom this drug benefits the most, also get access to it.”
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman described the SMC’S decision as “very welcome”.