UK govt Cancer Drugs Fund an opportunity and a challenge, says ABPI

The UK government’s Cancer Drugs Fund is a real opportunity to improve patient access to innovative medicines and reverse the trend of the UK lagging behind other comparative countries in cancer treatment, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.

In its response to the government’s consultation on the Cancer Drugs Fund, published yesterday, the ABPI makes clear its strong support for the fund but also emphasizes the potential for it to worsen regional variations if the right mechanisms are not put in place to help patients gain equal access to cancer medicines not available on the National Health Service (NHS).

The ABPI also calls for close and transparent monitoring of how the Fund operates, to help identify other factors that need addressing to improve outcomes for cancer patients in the longer term, recognising that - while vital - money alone will not provide a sustainable solution.