Herceptin is one of a new generation drug that can treat breast cancer.
Herceptin is one of a new generation drug that can treat breast cancer. But NHS said that it would fund the treatment for patients suffering from later stages of breast cancer. Due to this there are lots of legal challenges by cancer sufferers to force their local health care providers to pay for the drug. The latest being a British man, Stuart Weaver who filed the case and won it. He was told that his local NHS trust would fund for his treatment with Herceptin. Maidstone Weald Primary Care Trust said that they have agreed only after reviewing his age, clinical needs and advice from his medical consultants.
He is 37 years old and is suffering from breast cancer. Herceptin has created lot of commotion as it attacks only cancer cells and does not pose a lot of damage to the normal ones. It is also much better than the traditional chemotherapy. Herceptin is manufactured by Switzerland's Roche and is very expensive. It costs about $37,168 a year and is licensed only for patients suffering with advanced breast cancer. But doctors can prescribe it to those patients who they feel should receive the drug for treatment. Although it is shown that Herceptin can help patients in the early stages of breast cancer health authorities respond negatively for funding the treatment in early stage breast cancer except for exceptional cases.
