Professor Stephen O’Brien
Consultant Haematologist Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Haematology at Newcastle University
The huge advances in treatment for patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia has transformed patients’ lives. But the challenge is balancing innovation and affordability.
“Improvements in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is one of the greatest success stories in cancer treatment”. Just 20 years ago, patients diagnosed with the condition could expect to live for around five years.
As a clinician and scientist, this is a really exciting time.
Likewise, survival rates are impressive. In particular, cancer patients taking the drug at home in table form have revolutionised treatment. “Follow-up calls can be taken at home, patients don’t have to take time out of their lives to come to an institutional setting and we even have one patient, who’s a farmer, who receives his delivery of medication when he’s out on his tractor,” says O’Brien.
A reduction in cost means a positive step forward
Of course, the benefits all come at a cost and, when they first arrived on the market, treatments for CML cost in excess of £20,000 per patient per year. Considering the majority of patients are on the tablets for the rest of their lives, the cost was significant. However, the patent expired in 2017, meaning the drugs are now available for hundreds of pounds a year – a fraction of the cost.
This is clearly a positive step forward, but the tension between innovation and affordability remains ever-present. “As a clinician and scientist, this is a really exciting time,” says O’Brien. “But as a citizen and Chair of a NICE Technology Appraisal Committee, I’m acutely aware of the costs. We must be stringent in evaluating new technology and drugs, ensuring the best patient outcome and ensuring NHS affordability NHS.”