Fw: MS drugs scheme 'a costly failure'

June 4, 2010

MS drugs scheme 'a costly failure'

4th June, 2010

MS drugs scheme 'a costly failure'

A risk-sharing scheme to supply multiple sclerosis (MS) medicines to patients

has been a " costly failure " , experts have said.

The NHS could have saved £250 million if the scheme had been properly assessed

after two years, while the money could have been better spent on other

treatments, they said.

MS medicines scheme has been a 'costly failure', experts said

The programme was set up between the Government and drug firms after the the

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence deemed a set of MS

medicines too expensive and questioned their effectiveness.

Other, similar types of schemes are up and running to bring more drugs to NHS

patients.

Under the terms of the MS risk-sharing scheme, established in 2002, the

Government agreed to pay for the drugs while research was carried out to assess

their long-term cost effectiveness. The NHS would then gradually stop paying for

the drugs if patients did not appear to be benefiting.

In 2009, seven years after the scheme was set up, data was published showing

patients were performing less well than predicted. A total of 5,583 patients

have received one or more treatments, costing in the region of £350 million.

Despite a lack of convincing evidence of benefit, a scientific advisory group

reporting to the Government has said it would be premature to reduce prices

without further analysis.

Writing online in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), experts led by Professor

McCabe, a health economist at the University of Leeds, questioned

this decision, saying none of the arguments stand up. They experts raised a

series of concerns, including over the supposed " independence " of the group.

" The manufacturers, patient groups, clinicians, and the Department of Health are

represented on the scientific advisory group, " they wrote.

" All these bodies have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. The

budget holders, who pay for these drugs, with responsibility for the health of

populations served by the NHS, are not represented on the scientific advisory

group, and as a result there is no countervailing influence on the group's

decision making

~Joyce C

" Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just have to find the ones worth

suffering for. "

~Bob Marley

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