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- Health
- STV News
Treatments for cancer and multiple sclerosis accepted for use on NHS
Medicines to treat patients with multiple sclerosis and a rare type of cancer have been approved for use by the NHS in Scotland. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted Selpercatinib, also known as Retsevmo, for treating patients aged 12 and older, with a rare type of medullary thyroid cancer that is advanced and caused by mutations in a gene called RET. The SMC has also has accepted Cladribine, also known as Mavenclad, for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in adults who have signs of active disease either through clinical signs or evidence of inflammation on scans. And Ruxolitinib, also known as Jakavi, has been accepted to treat patients, aged 12 and over, with acute graft versus host disease where corticosteroids have not been effective. Acute graft versus host disease happens when donor cells attack the body shortly after a transplant. However Durvalumab, also known as Imfinzi, was not recommended when used together with tremelimumab as a first-line treatment for adults with hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer when it is advanced or cannot be removed by surgery. SMC chair Dr Scott Muir said: 'The committee is pleased to be able to accept these new medicines for use by NHSScotland. 'Cladribine as a short course of oral tablets may be a more manageable treatment option for patients with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. 'Selpercatinib offers an oral targeted treatment for a small group of patients with advanced medullary thyroid cancer, driven by a gene mutation. 'Ruxolitinib offers an oral treatment for graft versus host disease, a serious complication after a stem cell transplant. It is the only licensed treatment for use where corticosteroids have not been successful in controlling the disease. 'The committee was unable to accept durvalumab, used together with tremelimumab, for the treatment of adults with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. 'The company's evidence around the cost effectiveness of the treatment compared to currently available options was not sufficient. 'We would welcome a resubmission from the company addressing the issues we have raised.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
STV News
12-05-2025
- Health
- STV News
Rejection of Alzheimer's drug for use in Scotland is 'devastating blow'
A new Alzheimer's drug has been rejected for use on the NHS in Scotland – with campaigners insisting the decision is a 'devastating blow' for those affected by the condition. The head of the charity Alzheimer Scotland spoke out after the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) announced it would not recommend donanemab, also known under the brand name Kisunla, for use by NHS Scotland. The decision comes after UK's medicines regulator said in October that the drug could be licensed for use in the UK. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has already refused to grant approval for it to be used by the health service in England. SMC chair Dr Scott Muir said it had 'welcomed the submission for donanemab and recognises the need for new therapies for Alzheimer's disease'. But he added: 'However, having carefully considered all the evidence, the committee was unable to accept donanemab for treatment in the NHS in Scotland.' Dr Muir said the SMC 'considered that there remains uncertainty around what the modest clinical benefit means for patients and their families'. It comes three months after the SMC similarly decided not to recommend another Alzheimer's drug, lecanemab, known under the brand name Leqembi, for use on the NHS, with the organisation saying then there was 'uncertainty' around the 'modest clinical benefit' it could bring patients. In the wake of those decisions, Henry Simmons, chief executive of the charity Alzheimer Scotland, said there needs to be a change in the system used for assessing such drugs – and suggested a dementia drugs fund be set up to 'finally tackle the UK's biggest killer head-on' Mr Simmons insisted: 'It's our view that the system used to assess dementia drugs must change if we have any hope of tackling this disease.' He described the SMC's decision to not recommend donanemab as being 'yet another devastating blow for people living with dementia, their families and carers' He said while there was an 'established assessment process' for determining what new treatments can be used by the NHS, drugs such as 'donanemab' are 'extremely new'. Calling for the assessment process to change for dementia treatments, he added: 'Dementia is the UK's biggest killer, and the leading cause of death for women. 'More than 75,000 people die from this disease every year – and yet we still don't have either of the promising new treatments that have been approved in the past year available on the NHS. 'Donanemab is the second disease-modifying drug, after lecanemab, to be approved as safe. Both have been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by as much as two years in some cases. 'But we seem to be stuck in a vicious cycle where each time a new drug is assessed, the regulator states that the evidence provided by the company on how well the medicine works, along with how much it would cost to use it, was not strong enough. 'It is time to take a different approach to the way dementia drugs are assessed for NHS use – one that takes into account the sheer size and scale of this disease and the enormous impact it has on the lives of individuals, their families and carers.' The Alzheimer Scotland boss said: 'There is a special case to be made here for dementia treatments to be supported by alternative forms of funding from governments to get these treatments into the NHS and into the hands of those who need it most. 'In the same way that the Innovative Medicines Fund or Cancer Drugs Fund provide access to treatments deemed too costly for the NHS, we believe it is time to set up a Dementia Drugs Fund to finally tackle the UK's biggest killer head-on.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
STV News
12-05-2025
- Health
- STV News
Bladder cancer drug approved for use but bowel cancer treatment rejected
A new treatment that could help adults suffering from a type of bladder cancer has been approved for use by the NHS in Scotland – although a drug that could help those with advanced bowel cancer has been rejected. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), the body which approves new treatments for use by the NHS, said that erdafitinib, also known by the brand name Balversa, could be used to treat adults suffering from urothelial carcinoma, a type of bladder cancer, that has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery. It also approved the use of sodium thiosulfate to reduce the risk of hearing loss caused by a type of chemotherapy when this is used to treat tumours that have not spread in children aged from one month to 18 years old In addition to this, mepolizumab, also known by the brand name Nucala, was approved to treat a type of asthma called eosinophilic asthma, in both adults and children aged six and over. The drug can be used when the asthma is severe and has not been well controlled with previous treatments. SMC chair Dr Scott Muir said: 'The committee is pleased to be able to accept these new medicines for use by NHS Scotland. 'Sodium thiosulfate offers the first licensed treatment option for reducing the risk of hearing loss in children undergoing cisplatin-based chemotherapy. 'Erdafitinib offers a targeted treatment option that can be taken at home for people with bladder cancer who have already received one line of treatment.' However, the SMC said that fruquintinib, also known under the brand name Fruzaqla, was not being recommended as a treatment for adults with advanced colorectal cancer who have already received at least two lines of treatment. Dr Muir stated: 'The committee was unable to accept fruquintinib for the treatment of adults with advanced colorectal cancer. 'The company's evidence around the cost effectiveness of the treatment compared to currently available options was not sufficient.'' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
