Re: PAH Treatment may be LINK TRIED AGAIN

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http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23463446-details/Lung%20patients%20'condemned%20to%20death%20as%20NHS%20withdraws%20their%20too%20expensive%20drugs'/article.do

> > >> > > I'm still mostly not back yet but had to post this article. Lung> > > patients 'condemned to death as NHS withdraws their too expensive> > drugs'> > > Last updated at 14:22pm on 25.03.08> > > Hundreds of patients with a rare lung disease will be sentenced to> > death> > > by plans to stop doctors prescribing a range of drugs on the NHS, it> > was> > > claimed last night.> > >> > > Campaigners have condemned proposals by the National Institute for> > > Health and Clinical Excellence to withdraw the drugs because they> are> > > too expensive.> > >> > > The condition, pulmonary hypertension, affects an estimated 4,000> > people> > > in the UK.> > >> > > Only a quarter of these need the most expensive level of treatment.> > >> > > Scroll down for more...> > > [ Baker with her son Bobby]> > > Sufferer Baker with her son Bobby, aged five> > >> > >> > >> > > Yet the plans by NICE, the Government's drug rationing body, mean no> > > life-extending therapies will be available to new patients because> the> > > cost of the most expensive exceeds its threshold of £30,000 per> > head.> > >> > > Only the cheapest drug used to combat the condition will remain> > > available for patients.> > >> > > The impotence drug Viagra is valuable in combating pulmonary> > > hypertension's symptoms of breathlessness but sufferers say it will> > not> > > prevent the heart failure the disease can induce.> > >> > > Lung specialists currently combine it with inhaled or infused drugs> > such> > > as prostacyclins for the most seriously affected, which can add> > > £40,000 a year to the £12,000 cost.> > >> > > Another group of drugs, endothelin receptor antagonists, are also> > under> > > threat.> > >> > > The cost of the most expensive treatments is on a par with approved> > HIV> > > treatments or keeping one criminal in prison for a year.> > >> > > The final decision, to be taken in July, will apply to England but> > > doctors believe Scotland will follow suit.> > >> > > Patients with pulmonary hypertension are usually diagnosed in their> > 40s> > > and 50s and the time from diagnosis to death is only 30 months> without> > > effective treatment.> > >> > > The disease causes blood pressure in the pulmonary artery to rise.> > Those> > > who go downhill need hospital care - with a lung transplant the only> > > other option.> > >> > > Professor Peacock, one of the world's leading experts on the> > > condition at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, said: "One of the drugs> > we> > > routinely use for the very sickest of the sick patients,> prostacyclin,> > > we're not going to be able to use at all.> > >> > > "We're going to have to say to people, 'Sorry, no treatment. You're> > just> > > going to have to have palliative care and you're going to die> > > basically'."> > >> > > Baker, 25, a mother, from Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire,> > was> > > diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension just over a year ago.> > >> > > "This medication has given me my life back," she said. "I have to> take> > > the drug via a small pump 24 hours a day. I still get tired and have> > to> > > limit what I do, but I have the confidence to do normal everyday> > things> > > that just weren't possible last year."> > >> > > As an existing patient, Mrs Baker will continue to get the expensive> > > drugs prescribed on the NHS.> > >> > > But she said: "I think it's outrageous that people with pulmonary> > > hypertension in future might be denied the treatment."> > >> > > NICE said its appraisal recommendations are preliminary and "may> > change> > > after consultation".> > >> >>