The Velcade Three
Campaigners for cancer drug will be at appeal hearing
TWO campaigning cancer patients are in London today for an appeal against a decision not to alow them and fellow patients access to a life-extending drug.
Janice Wrigglesworth, from Cowling is travelling to the capital with Keighley woman Jacky Pickles for the hearing.
The two, along with Marie Morton, who is unable to travel to the illness have been bussed the Velcade Three after fighting for access to the drug.
The three suffer from multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. The drug costs between £18,000 and £22,000 for a course of treatment and although it cannot cure myeloma, it can extend a patients life.
The Velcade Three were devastated when the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced last year it would not be recommending the drug for use on the NHS in England, despite it being available in Scotland and many other European countries.
The appeal has been secured by the charities Myeloma UK, Cancerbackup and Leukaemia CARE and there will be an opportunity for the representatives from the organisations to expand on points laid out in a written appeal.
Eric Low, of Myeloma UK, said: “This is good news for the myeloma community and a positive step forward.
“We are pleased that NICE had considered our arguments and is willing to hear our appeal.
“This is a very complex issue and we hope that by attending the appeal hearing and working with NICE, some of the points we raised in our appeal can be further explored in the hope that their guidance could be reversed or amended.”
Mrs Pickles, who benefited from Velcade after taking part in a clinical trial said: “We are going as people with an interest but we are not allowed to say anything but Myeloma UK will put the case forward.”
She said she found all the bureaucracy extremely frustrating. “People are dying in the meantime,” she added.
The Velcade Three have already consulted a lawyer in case they have to take their fight to the courts and a fundraising campaign is under way, supported by the Keighley Cougars.
The Velcade Three attended the Joe Phillips Memorial Trophy match at Cougar Park, Keighley, last Friday when the Cougars took on Bradford Bulls.
The trio, along with family and friends, collected cash to fund their fight and handed out leaflets and information.
Copyright © The Velcade Three, 2010.