The U.K.'s special cancer drugs fund gave the heave-ho to a slate of treatments, including Roche's cutting-edge breast cancer treatment Kadcyla and Celgene's
Abraxane for pancreatic cancer. Drugmakers are hopping mad, cancer
treatment charities are despairing, and the fund and some public
officials are on the defensive.
Roche CEO Severin Schwan
called the decision "stupid" and "completely arbitrary." The decision
to stop funding the products shows a short-sighted focus on the drugs'
prices, rather than on their overall value to the health system, he said
during a Tuesday briefing with reporters. Effective drugs can save the
healthcare system money, and they can also get patients back to work
faster, which helps the economy, he said.
"It's stupid from a cost point of view," Schwan said. "How the hell can you ignore all these benefits?"
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