Analysis: paying for drugs with CIC

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has stated there is insufficient evidence to recommend the bowel cancer drugs – called Avastin and Erbitux – and it is therefore proposing to block their routine use by the NHS. Charities are arguing the drugs have been shown to extend life expectancy by four to five months in some patients. Under the NICE proposal, a patient may be issued the drugs if they can show they are an “exceptional case”, but it is unclear what “exceptional” means and it is unlikely those patients falling outside the definition will be able to fun...