2 March 2017 - Patients will have routine access to more cancer drugs as companies have dropped their prices as part of the reformed Cancer Drugs Fund process.

NICE is now halfway through the drugs it is considering from the CDF and so far all have been recommended for routine NHS use. Companies have provided discounts and in some cases additional evidence meaning the drugs can be considered cost effective for routine NHS use.

The Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) was established by the Government in 2010 as a temporary solution to help patients access cancer drugs that were not widely available on the NHS. However the Fund quickly exceeded its original £200 million budget.

In 2016 reforms were put in place which required NICE to carry out appraisals for the drugs in the existing Fund and all newly licensed cancer drugs.

Two drugs from the CDF have today been recommended for routine use, bringing the total to 14 CDF drugs approved so far from the 24 NICE will look at.

Read NICE press release