UK DoH confirms Cancer Drugs Fund will provide 200 million a year; starts consultation, which is welcomed by ABPI

A UK Cancer Drugs Fund of £200 million ($313.4 million) a year to help cancer patients get greater access to cancer drugs that their doctors recommend for them was confirmed yesterday by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.

The announcement follows the Coalition government’s commitment to create a Cancer Drugs Fund to commence from 2011 to help thousands of patients get increased access to innovative new cancer drugs that extend life or improve quality of life. Following the Spending Review, £200 million a year in funding will be available for cancer drugs from April 2011 to the end of 2013.

In addition to this commitment, £50 million has been available since October 1, until the end of March 2011, with clinically led panels now set up in each region. These panels put doctors in charge of deciding how this funding is spent for their patients locally, together with advice from patients’ cancer specialists. A consultation launched yesterday, which will run until January 19, 2011, seeks the views of health care professionals, patients, carers and the public on these arrangements and other proposals for the Fund’s operation such as: