MDS UK Patient Support Group

London, 26 July 2010 – The MDS UK Patient Support Group has welcomed the decision announced today by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) that it will re-appraise the use of Vidaza (azacitidine) in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)- a group of debilitating bone marrow diseases. Today’s decision by a NICE [...]

‘Cancer experts from more than 30 hospitals across Europe have joined a campaign to get an expensive life-extending drug on the NHS’, writes Daily Telegraph’s medical correspondent Kate Devlin.

On 4th March 2010, NICE published their final decision not to recommend the use of azacitidine (Vidaza) to treat patients with MDS in the NHS, despite its proven ability to extend patient survival and significantly improve quality of life…

The MDS UK Patient Support Group today expressed its anger and disappointment at the announcement by the Scottish Medicines Consortium that is not recommending Vidaza (azacitidine) be made available through NHS Scotland to patients with a range of life-threatening bone marrow diseases.

The next Government has the power to invest in the future of cancer care. We need every parliamentary candidate to make a firm commitment to cancer support, and you can make this happen.

Prime minister’s office responds to the AML (Acute Myeloid Leukaemia) petition for azacitidine

The MDS UK Patient Support Group has announced that it has lodged an appeal against the negative recommendation issued earlier this month by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the use of Vidaza (azacitidine) in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

NICE states that azacitidine is not recommended as a treatment option for people with intermediate-2 or high risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)

“Scientists at King’s have developed a vaccine treatment for Leukaemia that can be used to stop the disease returning after chemotherapy or bone marrow transplant. The vaccine is due to be tested on patients for the first time. Eventually it is hoped the drug, which activates the body’s own immune system against the leukaemia, could be used to treat other types of cancers. ” KCL website.

This CML (Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia) patient is facing similar issues as our MDS patients with azacitidine, as NICE’s preliminary decision is NOT TO recommend 2 drugs that can treat this condition. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23791598-nhs-refusal-to-give-me-drugs-is-death-sentence.do http://www.cmlsupport.org.uk/?q=node/1302 http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/richmondnews/4839519.Cancer_sufferer_fights_for_lifesaving_drugs/ For MDS and azacitidine – we are currently awaiting NICE’s decision whether to recommend the drug or not for NHS patients. [...]