A group of leading Cancer doctors have claimed that a lot more patients will die as a result of delays in providing access to life saving drugs.
Consultants across the country have heavily criticised the HSE for not approving the revolutionary new drug that could potentially save thousands of lives. Doctors say the new drug, pembrolizumab (“pembro”) must be introduced sooner rather than later as it as been found to be safe and cost-effective and is available in many European countries.
The revolutionary new drug could have the potential to treat a number deadly cancers, after a recent study found that 100 patients who received the treatment last year have experienced significantly improved health and reduced side-effects.
The move not to approve the drug has been slammed by Oncologist Prof John Crown who said ‘some of his patients would not survive unless they gained access to the “game-changing” new therapy quickly. “They may be dead or too sick to get it by the time a decision is made.”
Prof Crown also blamed the failure to approve the drugs because the lack of a government in the spring, but added: “Minister for Health Simon Harris can now fix this with a stroke of his pen in two minutes.”