Paolo Tarantino, Clinical Research Fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, shared Yakup Ergün’s post on X, adding:

“Developing drugs is not cheap. Companies should be able to cover those costs and make profit.

Not all drugs double PFS, though. Not all drugs improve OS or QoL. If we want both innovation and access, pricing should reflect magnitude of benefit.

Now, it unfortunately does not.”

Yakup Ergün, Medical Oncologist at Bower Hospital, shared:

“A cancer drug shown to significantly improve overall survival in clinical trials has been denied NICE approval for NHS coverage because of its price.

I think the real issue is not NICE’s decision, but pharmaceutical companies’ pricing policies. Just a few months ago, T-DXd was also rejected, only to be approved following further negotiations and an undisclosed discount.

Will we see the same process play out again? If so, it’s time to put an end to this theater. Companies should offer reasonable prices from the outset so that patients are not deprived of effective treatments while these negotiations drag on.”