Supporters of Ethel Hallam, the Whaley Bridge lady with cancer, whose treatment sparked a major debate about NHS prescribing policy, are claiming a victory today as NICE withdrew its threat to ban the use of Alimta in the treatment of mesthelioma.

High Peak MP Tom Levitt, who supported the campaign to have Alimta approved for use on the NHS, was delighted with the outcome. NICE, the National Institution for Health and Clinical Excellence, published a draft report in June which claimed that Alimta was not a cost effective treatment and it suggested that Primary Care Trusts should be prevented from prescribing it. This view was challenged by campaigners who claimed that the benefits of the drug outweighed the costs in many cases.

On Tuesday 20 December an appeal against the NICE report was upheld, with a recommendation that NICE should acknowledge that Alimta was value for money under certain circumstances. NICE now has to think again and publish a different draft report for public consultation. This means that it will probably be a year before firm guidance is issued.

Meanwhile, the government has told PCTs that they cannot use the absence of NICE guidelines as a reason for not prescribing a drug.

In Ethel Hallam’s case, Derbyshire PCT initially refused to fund the drug but later relented. NICE was created in order to create a level playing field which avoided the iniquities of a postcode lottery in prescribing.

“It is now clear that Alimta will be used more widely for the treatment of mesothelioma for the next 12 months and probably beyond,” said Mr Levitt. “The new guidance is likely to recommend that people for whom Alimta is an indicated prescription should all receive one or two courses of treatments to see if it is likely to be effective and then continue where this is indicated. Under the previous practice NICE was considering, every patient was costed for 6 courses of treatment even though Alimta does not help in about half of all cases.

“This is a victory both for common sense and for the passion and commitment of local people like Ethel’s family,” said Mr Levitt.

Click here to read the NICE appeal judgement in full