Three new cancer drugs approved for use by NHS Scotland
However, the SMC did approve the drug brentuximab vedotin, also known as Adcetris, to be used together with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for adult patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma – an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system.
SMC vice chair Graeme Bryson said the treatment could 'help increase how long people with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma have before their cancer gets worse'.
READ MORE: Jewish staff at Scottish universities call for full divestment from Israel
Meanwhile, zanubrutinib, also known as Brukinsa, was accepted to treat adults with mantle cell lymphoma – a rare type of the blood cancer non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The SMC has also approved the drug ripretinib – also known as Qinlock – to treat adults with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumours, which are a rare type of cancer of the digestive system.
In addition to these drugs it has agreed the NHS can use mirikizumab, also known as Omvoh, for adults with Crohn's disease, a lifelong condition which is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
However, the SMC rejected the drug dupilumab, also known as Dupixent, as a treatment on the NHS for adults with COPD that is controlled on current standard treatments.
Bryson said: 'The committee is pleased to be able to accept these new medicines for use by NHS Scotland.
'Brentuximab vedotin, used together with chemotherapy, could help increase how long people with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma have before their cancer gets worse.
'Ripretinib provides a fourth-line treatment for advanced gastro-intestinal stromal tumours where currently there is no standard treatment available.
'Zanubrutinib offers an additional oral targeted treatment option for patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have already received one or more lines of treatment.
'Mirikizumab offers an additional treatment option for people with moderate to severe Crohn's disease whose disease is not controlled on standard or biologic treatment.'
However he added: 'The committee was unable to accept dupilumab for treating patients with COPD as the company's evidence around the cost-effectiveness of the treatment was not sufficient. We would welcome a resubmission from the company.'
Joseph Carter, head of the charity Asthma + Lung UK Scotland, said: 'If the cost effectiveness of dupilumab for use by NHS Scotland can be improved, we are hopeful that the Scottish Medicines Consortium will revisit its decision.
'With an estimated 241,000 people living with COPD in Scotland, there is hope that this drug could help guide research for other targeted therapies.
'More lung research is desperately needed to enable a breakthrough to help better control or even cure COPD.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
Dumfries Maggie's cancer care centre plans given green light
Long-delayed plans to build a cancer care centre in the grounds of a hospital in Dumfries have been given the green Maggie's centre is set to be built next to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary – more than a decade after a feasibility study was carried charity bosses said they were unable to fund the project last year due to financial an agreement between Maggie's, named after Dumfries native Maggie Keswick Jenks, and the local NHS board has now been reached. It will see Maggie's take forward the plans on land rented by NHS Dumfries and Galloway under a "peppercorn lease" arrangement.A timescale for the project has not yet been disclosed. Maggie's chief executive, Dame Laura Lee, said the centre would be transformational for those living with cancer across the said many people currently had to travel to Glasgow or Edinburgh to access support, but that would now be brought closer to home."This centre has been in development for a long time, so it is wonderful to now be able to look forward to a time when people living with cancer have our expert support closer to them," she said."Of course, we also know that there's something special about having a centre here because we know how fondly our founder Maggie Keswick Jencks is remembered in her hometown." About 1,200 cancer diagnoses are made in Dumfries and Galloway every year, the charity Keswick Jenks was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 47 and was told it had returned in died in 1995, but not before laying the groundwork for the creation of a support centre for people with cancer, and their first Maggie's centre was built at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh the following charity now has eight centres operating across Scotland and others in the UK, Netherlands and plans for a centre in Dumfries were first assessed in 2014 and formally went before NHS Dumfries and Galloway in June health board was asked to put up £250,000 towards the £4m centre, but that failed to get off the July last year, the health board – which is facing a £35m financial deficit – said it could not commit to an increased initial outlay of £1m and an ongoing £80,000 per year support board's endowment committee cited financial challenges and a Scottish government moratorium on new NHS building projects. However, a rental agreement under a "peppercorn" contract has now been will see Maggie's charged a token sum for a long-term lease on the charity said it would fundraise to meet the capital and revenue needs of the centre, but added it did not know the amount required at this Dumfries and Galloway chief executive, Julie White, said: "NHS Dumfries and Galloway is facing significant financial challenges, but this new Maggie's centre is set to be taken forward by the charity – with the NHS board providing the land where it will be constructed over the coming years."Although the centre will be constructed in Dumfries, Maggie's appreciate that we are a remote and rural area and are supportive of an approach serving the region in its entirety."
Scottish Sun
40 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Millions of Brits ‘can't remember the last time they drank glass of water' – with many using tea for hydration
DRINK UP Millions of Brits 'can't remember the last time they drank glass of water' – with many using tea for hydration Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A POLL of 2,000 adults revealed 40 per cent rely primarily on cups of tea to stay hydrated, with 30 per cent opting for coffee and 17 per cent fizzy drinks. With Boomers twice as likely as Gen Z to turn to tea for their hydration needs (56 per cent vs 23 per cent). Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up And women are more likely than men to fail to drink enough water, with 36 per cent of females reporting this compared to 27 per cent of men. Just 17 per cent are drinking enough water, according to NHS guidelines which recommend up to eight glasses a day, according to the research commissioned by hydration drink Más+ by Messi, which is promoting positive hydration to keep Brits on top of their game. Nearly a tenth of all adults polled (nine per cent) don't like the taste of plain water, while 43 per cent claimed it tastes boring. It also emerged 10 per cent of the parents polled don't think their children drink enough each day. While the study, which also polled 837 teenagers, found 15 per cent of them drink plain water only a few times a week at most. In fact, one mum, Kelly Mulligan, 53, says her son, Max, nine, hasn't sunk a glass of plain water since he was four years old. Despite Max having regular thirst cues, he's "never liked the taste" of water because "there's no flavour.' Instead, the youngster would rather drink apple juice, which Kelly dilutes with water to keep Max's sugar content down. Kelly, from Brighton, who runs her own cleaning business, said: 'Max has never liked plain water - he says there's no flavour. 'I agree – I don't drink plain water either. I can only drink carbonated water or tea. 'Max will take little sips of water if he needs to, but he's always thirsty and says plain water doesn't quench his thirst. 'He loves fresh apple juice, but to make sure he's not having too much natural sugar, I water it down. 'He's fine with that, and it helps me to know that he is having some form of water. Mum of one, Kelly added: 'Max has to take a bottle of water to school because they don't allow anything [else], but how much he actually drinks of that, I'm not sure. 'He's healthy and happy, so I have no concerns. He has a varied diet and keeps active. It isn't like he's drinking no liquids at all. 'The diluted apple juice is a middle ground which helps keep my concerns for his teeth a bay.' The study also found of the 13–17-year-olds polled, 34 per cent prefer other drinks to water, while 26 per cent 'forget' to drink it. While 29 per cent of adults believed tea, coffee and soft drinks are as effective as water when it comes to hydration. Just 12 per cent actively monitor their water intake, with 60 per cent not bothering at all – and the remainder trying to keep mental notes on how much they've had. But 17 per cent often experience symptoms they believe are due to dehydration, such as headaches or fatigue. The issues are often passed down to children, as 54 per cent of the parents polled struggle to get kids to drink plain water on a regular basis. This leaves 41 per cent feeling worried, with three quarters having to 'force' their children to stay hydrated. Sophie Van Ettinger, global VP Más+ by Messi, said: 'It's alarming the number of people who are not aware they are dehydrated daily and will often go through days experiencing a lack of energy or headaches, not realising a simple glass of water or even a hydration drink is the solution.' Leo Messi, co-founder for the drink, added: 'As an athlete, I know the importance of hydration for peak performance.'
The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
Millions of Brits ‘can't remember the last time they drank glass of water' – with many using tea for hydration
A POLL of 2,000 adults revealed 40 per cent rely primarily on cups of tea to stay hydrated, with 30 per cent opting for coffee and 17 per cent fizzy drinks. With Boomers twice as likely as Gen Z to turn to tea for their hydration needs (56 per cent vs 23 per cent). And women are more likely than men to fail to drink enough water, with 36 per cent of females reporting this compared to 27 per cent of men. Just 17 per cent are drinking enough water, according to NHS guidelines which recommend up to eight glasses a day, according to the research commissioned by hydration drink Más+ by Messi, which is promoting positive hydration to keep Brits on top of their game. Nearly a tenth of all adults polled (nine per cent) don't like the taste of plain water, while 43 per cent claimed it tastes boring. It also emerged 10 per cent of the parents polled don't think their children drink enough each day. While the study, which also polled 837 teenagers, found 15 per cent of them drink plain water only a few times a week at most. In fact, one mum, Kelly Mulligan, 53, says her son, Max, nine, hasn't sunk a glass of plain water since he was four years old. Despite Max having regular thirst cues, he's "never liked the taste" of water because "there's no flavour.' Instead, the youngster would rather drink apple juice, which Kelly dilutes with water to keep Max's sugar content down. Kelly, from Brighton, who runs her own cleaning business, said: 'Max has never liked plain water - he says there's no flavour. 'I agree – I don't drink plain water either. I can only drink carbonated water or tea. 'Max will take little sips of water if he needs to, but he's always thirsty and says plain water doesn't quench his thirst. 'He loves fresh apple juice, but to make sure he's not having too much natural sugar, I water it down. 'He's fine with that, and it helps me to know that he is having some form of water. Mum of one, Kelly added: 'Max has to take a bottle of water to school because they don't allow anything [else], but how much he actually drinks of that, I'm not sure. 'He's healthy and happy, so I have no concerns. He has a varied diet and keeps active. It isn't like he's drinking no liquids at all. 'The diluted apple juice is a middle ground which helps keep my concerns for his teeth a bay.' The study also found of the 13–17-year-olds polled, 34 per cent prefer other drinks to water, while 26 per cent 'forget' to drink it. While 29 per cent of adults believed tea, coffee and soft drinks are as effective as water when it comes to hydration. Just 12 per cent actively monitor their water intake, with 60 per cent not bothering at all – and the remainder trying to keep mental notes on how much they've had. But 17 per cent often experience symptoms they believe are due to dehydration, such as headaches or fatigue. The issues are often passed down to children, as 54 per cent of the parents polled struggle to get kids to drink plain water on a regular basis. This leaves 41 per cent feeling worried, with three quarters having to 'force' their children to stay hydrated. Sophie Van Ettinger, global VP Más+ by Messi, said: 'It's alarming the number of people who are not aware they are dehydrated daily and will often go through days experiencing a lack of energy or headaches, not realising a simple glass of water or even a hydration drink is the solution.' Leo Messi, co-founder for the drink, added: 'As an athlete, I know the importance of hydration for peak performance.' 1
