17 September 2015 - The only new pancreatic cancer drug licensed for 17 years will not be funded in England, the drug rationing watchdog announce today.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has ruled that Abraxane is too expensive to be given alongside gemcitabine hydrochloride despite being shown to double life-expectancy in some cases. It was also shown to double two year survival rate.

Cancer charities and oncologists said it was a serious backwards step for patients and clinicians in England.
The drug was also recently removed from the Cancer Drugs Fund, meaning that it cannot be prescribed in England at all. Patients in Scotland and Wales will still be able to benefit.

Dr Harpreet Wasan, Clinical Medical Oncologist, London said: “The decision by NICE not to recommend Abraxane in combination with gemcitabine for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer is extremely disappointing and will no doubt be distressing news to pancreatic cancer patients and their families across England.

“Sadly, people affected by this disease, which currently is one of the few cancers with little or no progress in treatments, have now been dealt a double negative of bad news, with today’s decision from NICE coming in the wake of Abraxane, in combination with gemcitabine, also being removed from the Cancer Drugs Fund list.

For more details; go to: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11869446/Pancreatic-cancer-patients-denied-life-extending-drug-by-spending-watchdog.html