Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether Kadcyla will be made available on the NHS and what plans it has to improve access to new cancer medicines.
The manufacturers route to market for Kadcyla is through the long standing independent Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) process. In October 2014 the SMC decided not to recommend Kadcyla for routine use in Scotland because the balance of costs and benefits meant it was not considered to offer value for money. We understand the company will be making a resubmission to SMC this autumn and we would encourage them to do so at a fairer price so that patients across Scotland can have the opportunity to benefit from more treatment options which could give them precious extra time with their families and loved ones.
In recent years the Scottish Government have made significant reforms and investment to improve access to newly licensed medicines. As a result Scotland is now one of the top nations in the world for accessing new medicines for cancer. However, we do think that more can be done to build on the progress made to date which is why we asked Dr Brian Montgomery to conduct an independent review which will report soon.
Following an SMC decision not to recommend a medicine, NHS boards do have systems in place which can provide access to newly licensed medicines on an individual patient basis and where the patient’s clinician considers this to be appropriate. Where such alternative prescribing options are used the Scottish Government’s New Medicines Fund is available to support the cost of Kadcyla.