NICE APPEAL DECISION ON ALIMTA FOR MESOTHELIOMA

That this House is aware that since July 2005 mesothelioma victims in Scotland have had access to the drug Alimta, which is the only licensed treatment for this tumour; welcomes the decision of the Cancer Networks and primary care trusts that have made Alimta available in parts of England and Wales; urges them and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to stand by their decision irrespective of what the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) finally decides; welcomes the decision by NICE announced on 19th December 2006 to uphold four of the grounds raised at the Alimta appeal hearing; notes that the use of Cost per Life Year Gained and other matters will now be reconsidered by the Appraisal Committee; further notes that Alimta is priced lower in the UK than in other European countries and that the NHS budget impact for 2007 will only be £3 million; urges the Government to review the appraisal methodology used by NICE; recognises the additional duty of care on Government to workers from the former nationalised industries negligently exposed to asbestos; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health to acknowledge that, in this case, she has a wider social responsibility that goes beyond the NICE definition of cost-effectiveness.