PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
MYELOMA TREATMENT AND NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH AND CLINICAL EXCELLENCE RULING ON VELCADE (24 July 2006)

That this House notes with concern that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) Single Technology Appraisal Consultation Document on Velcade does not recommend this treatment for use in the NHS except as part of ongoing or new clinical trials; further notes that this is the only new treatment licensed for use in myeloma patients in the past 10 years and represents a major step forward in the treatment of this cancer, which has one of the highest death rates of all cancers; recognises that this treatment has been positively appraised by the Scottish Medicines Consortium and the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group, currently making it available to patients in Scotland and Wales, and that within its licence it has been endorsed for use by the UK Myeloma Forum and the British Committee for Standards in Haematology; further notes that the clinical and cost-effectiveness analysis of this treatment demonstrates that the cost per life year gained was between £28,000 and £31,000 for treatment at first relapse, which is within the NICE requirements for cost effectiveness; and therefore requests that the Secretary of State for Health asks NICE to reconsider the evidence before issuing its final appraisal determination.

Sponsored by:
Jessica Morden (Labour)