The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has
today recommended the medicine should be made routinely
available. In preparation for the NICE recommendation, NHS
Wales has been working closely with the medicine’s
manufacturer Roche, to reach an agreement to ensure it is
available.
Under the terms of the Welsh Government’s New Treatment
Fund health boards in Wales must now make Perjeta available
within 60 days.
Perjeta provides treatment for people whose HER2-positive
breast cancer has returned to the breast but is inoperable,
or where it has spread to other parts of the body.
said:
“I’m pleased that Perjeta (pertuzumab) will now be
routinely available on the Welsh NHS for people with
advanced breast cancer. The Welsh Government’s flagship
£80m New Treatment Fund is making more medicines
available quicker than ever before. On average, new
medicines are now being made available in only 10 days
following recommendation. This means people with
life-threatening conditions are getting much faster
access to the latest medicines when they need them.”
The announcement could potentially benefit up to
50 women a year in Wales.
Dr Catherine Bale, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Associate
Medical Director, Wales Cancer Network said:
“This is extremely welcome news for our ladies with
advanced breast cancer who will now have the opportunity
to benefit from this effective treatment which can both
prolong life and maintain quality of life. Making
effective treatments available in a timely way to the
population of Wales remains a priority and the New
Treatment Fund is making this a reality for patients
now.”
