16.05.12
The war on drug prices
So, NICE’s initial decision to reject abiraterone caused the manufacturer to rethink the price the NHS would have to pay – enough that it is now value-for-money for the people with advanced prostate cancer whose life it can extend.
This is a great outcome for cancer patients, their families, and for the NHS, and shows that NICE can have a genuine impact on lowering drug prices, not just on approving or rejecting them.
No matter whether the public and cancer charity outcry in February also influenced its decision at all – NICE will say it didn’t, Cancer ResearchUKthinks it was a factor – we’ve ended up with a good outcome.
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