Funding research and education to beat prostate disease
Rejection of Abiraterone leaves men with advanced prostate cancer nowhere to go
Thursday 2 February 2012
The decision taken today by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) that Abiraterone will not be funded on the NHS is a blow for all men with advanced prostate disease across the UK.
Abiraterone, a drug that blocks the production of male hormones in all tissues has proven successful in reducing symptoms and increasing the quality of life of men with advanced prostate cancer, but has been turned down by NICE on the grounds of cost.
'For many men in the UK with advanced prostate cancer, Abiraterone was their last chance at a longer and more comfortable life,' said Emma Malcolm, Chief Executive of Prostate Action. 'This is a bitter blow, and begs the question: what now for men with advanced prostate cancer? We cannot abandon these men; we need to fund more research into the causes, treatments and the prevention of prostate cancer.'
Abiraterone has been one of the most requested treatments from the Cancer Drugs Fund since it became available in the UK, with over 500 men receiving the drug. The Cancer Drugs Fund is only available in England and is set to expire in 2014.
'We’re hugely disappointed that NICE believe Abiraterone does not provide good value for money. NICE have a different policy for assessing end of life treatments and Prostate Action believe Abiraterone should have been judged against these criteria, and not the usual standard applied to single technology appraisals, as was the case here.'
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Notes to Editors:
About Prostate Action
Prostate Action funds research and education to beat prostate disease. Prostate Action fund research and education into all three prostate diseases: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer and prostatitis. We believe that by funding the best research and educating GPs, practice nurses, district nurses and newly qualified urologists, we aim to give all men a better chance of beating prostate disease.
Prostate Action part-funded the laboratory evaluation of Abiraterone.
About prostate cancer
- 37,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the UK.
- 10,000 men die from prostate cancer each year, that’s one man every hour.
- Prostate cancer accounts for one quarter of all cancers diagnosed in men.
- Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in UK men.
For more information about Prostate Action’s work or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please call Gareth Ellis-Thomas on 07814 740582, email gellis-thomas@prostateaction.org.uk or visit www.prostateaction.org.uk
