Patient invited to take part in a trial (From Witney Gazette)

Patient invited to take part in a trial

9:00am Wednesday 1st November 2006 in Witney By Phil Vinter

A CANCER patient, who feared he would die before Christmas because he was refused a potentially life-saving drug, has been given a reprieve at the 11th hour.

Malcolm Cole, of Fulbrook, thought he had been given a death sentence by South West Oxfordshire PCT, when they decided not to prescribe him with the drug Velcade earlier this year.

It is the only licensed drug available for relapsed multiple myeloma patients, and is prescribed in every other developed country, but NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) recommended it should not be available on the health service. However, Janssen-Cilag - the pharmaceutical company which produces the drug - has given Mr Cole a lifeline by inviting him to participate in a trial for Velcade.

The 68-year-old will start the three-month trial at London's Royal Marsden Hospital tomorrow.

He said he was delighted he was getting the chance to take Velcade.

He said: "I am so glad I am getting the opportunity to try the drug, because it means that I will now, hopefully, be alive for long enough to finish carrying out important experiments on my eco-house.

"When I was told I had been accepted on to the trial the news almost came too late, as my condition is beginning to deteriorate.

:And you have to be fit enough to take the drug. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed I will be OK."

Mr Cole is still annoyed he was refused by the South West Oxfordshire NHS Trust, and believes the decision not to make Velcade - which costs £30,000 per treatment - was all down to money.

He added: "The Government made the trials for Velcade so stringent in order to cut costs, so that the drug would not become available on the NHS. The politicians have said that these new drugs that are coming in are too expensive, and the reason for that is that they have told the manufacturers they have to test them to the limit."

South West Oxfordshire PCT spokesman, Alison Brumfit, said: "We take recommendations from NICE.

"And if the drug is deemed to be clinically and cost effective, then we make it available for our patients.

"We do have consistency across the county, and patients have the opportunity to appeal, but in this case, that was not deemed appropriate."