A BREAST cancer patient has hit out after Health Secretary Shona Robison ruled out using the Scottish Parliament’s powers to provide a cut-price drug to prolong lives.
Fiona Morrison, 45, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer last January and is campaigning for access to the treatment pertuzumab. Also known by the brand name Perjeta, the drug has been shown to aid recovery for some and extend the survival of others for up to 16 months.
READ MORE: 'Scottish Government should do more to for breast cancer patients'
However, it has been rejected for use on NHS Scotland on cost grounds and the Just Treatment campaign wants the Scottish Government to enact a Crown use licence to bypass “big pharma” firm Roche and produce a cheaper alternative.
In Holyrood on Thursday, Green MSP Alison Johnstone pressed Robison on whether or such action would be taken, saying: “Breast cancer patients are urging us all to ensure that they can access the treatment that they need.”
Robison said doing so would not provide a “quick solution” for patients due to the lengthy regulatory approval process, adding that Roche is “in discussion” with NHS National Procurement and urging the company to make a new submission to the Scottish Medicines Consortium.
She went on: “The offer should be at a fair price. That is what we would expect from any pharmaceutical company that was bringing forward a product. We hope that Roche will do that as quickly as possible.”
READ MORE: Holyrood urged to make breast cancer drug available to Scots
Writing for The National, Paisley woman Morrison said she was “disappointed” with Robison’s response, stating: “When asked about the government’s power – in the face of Roche’s refusal to charge the NHS a fair price – to suspend the patent which gives them a monopoly and allow another manufacturer to supply the drug for a fair price, Shona Robison acknowledged that this was something they could do, but weren’t considering for pertuzumab.
“The Health Secretary claimed that using a so-called Crown use licence would be too costly and take too long.
“Whilst it is true it would take some time for the Crown use licence process to deliver an alternative supply of pertuzumab, that is no reason to voluntarily give up the one key weapon the government has to increase pressure on the drug company in the negotiations.”
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She went on: “Public health safeguards such as the Crown use licence exist to prevent drug companies exploit their patent monopolies to demand extremely high prices at the cost of patients’ health. It is vital our government is prepared to stand up to the industry and use them or they will continue to try to rip the NHS off.”
On her personal struggle, Morrison said: “The last thing you want to hear when you’re a cancer patient is that you’ve run out of options. Cancer is a devastating and difficult disease, and for many patients that is the tragic situation they find themselves in. But I was in a different position. I was told there was another option for me – but I was not allowed to access it.”
Read Fiona Morrison’s full piece by following this link.
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