29 July 2016 - England's Cancer Drugs Fund reopens under its new model today, but the pharma industry and charities are already warning that it could do little to solve fundamental problems with drug reimbursement in the country.

The original Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), a silo fund for cancer drugs deemed too expensive for the NHS by NICE, was closed in March after heavily overspending. The new system will hand all the decisions to NICE – if a drug is given a conditional recommendation, the CDF is allowed to fund the use of the medicine for up to 2 years while further evidence on long-term evidence is gathered.

After 2 years, NICE will conduct a review, using a shortened process, to consider the drug for routine commissioning on the NHS. This will either result in the medicine moving out of the CDF and into routine budgets, or if the company has not been able to demonstrate its case, made available on an exception basis only.

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