Firm will continue giving cancer drug to patients while awaiting HSE decision

One of the companies which makes new cancer drugs, under review by the HSE for possible approval, is extending its compassionate access programme for people with advanced lung cancer for one month.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) was responding to a plea from Minister for Health Simon Harris for the firms, behind Nivolumab (nivo) and Pembrolizumab (pembro), to continue to provide the medication under a compassionate access programme which had closed to new patients earlier this year.

Mr Harris made the call as the HSE continued a review into the possible approval of the drug, ahead of any decision possibly being referred back to the Department of Health due to a measure introduced in the last budget by the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform, which said any decision on drugs that cost more than €45,000 per patient per year must be approved by Government.

MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme), manufacturer of pembro, had already told the Irish Examiner on Monday it had been continuing to provide the drug to approximately 100 patients who had been on the compassionate access programme, up to when it ceased earlier this year, and that this would continue.

However, it is understood around 30 new patients have not been able to access the drug.

One estimate put the initial pricing for pembro at €134,000 per patient per year.

Yesterday BMS, which makes nivo, said while the HSE took further time to make a decision on the possible funding of nivolumab, “our compassionate access programme for patients with advanced lung cancer will be extended for 30 days”.

“This step, taken with patients front of mind, allows additional people with lung cancer who have limited options the opportunity to benefit from this potentially life-extending medicine.

“The programme has already been open since May 2015 and BMS has provided the medicine to 200 patients in that time; all patients currently receiving nivolumab will be able to continue to receive treatment.”

The BMS spokesperson said the company had already submitted a pricing proposal for HSE review which it believed will offer value to the Irish health service.

The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics has found pembro is cost-effective but, in March, said it did not consider nivo to be so.