12 March 2018 - SMC accepts new medicines for breast cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma for use by NHSScotland

The Scottish Medicines Consortium, which advises on newly licensed medicines for use by NHSScotland, has today published advice accepting medicines for breast cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Ribociclib (Kisqali) was accepted for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Through SMC’s Patient and Clinician Engagement (PACE) process for medicines used to treat very rare and end of life conditions, participants highlighted the impact incurable breast cancer has on the lives of patients and their families. Ribociclib can increase the period of time patients have until their condition progresses and as an oral treatment it is easy to administer.

Also accepted through PACE was pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for the treatment of advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma in patients who have failed to respond to previous treatments. In the PACE meeting, patient groups highlighted that the only current treatment option is chemotherapy, which offers a poor response rate and causes substantial side effects. For some patients, pembrolizumab may provide a bridge to transplant with the prospect of a cure, while for others it may provide a long lasting remission with fewer side effects than chemotherapy.

Read SMC press release