Prostate Cancer UK are delighted that the licence for
abiraterone has been extended so that men with advanced prostate
cancer can benefit from it at an earlier stage. Dr Sarah Cant,
Director of Policy and Campaigns, comments:
"We are delighted that the licence for abiraterone has been
extended so that men with advanced prostate cancer can benefit from
it at an earlier stage. Any drug which can help improve outcomes
for men with this type of cancer and delay chemotherapy treatment,
which often has debilitating side effects, is a very exciting step
forward.
"Although abiraterone can now be prescribed by doctors for use in
this new setting, its costs might not be covered by a man's local
NHS health provider. We urge NICE and the Scottish Medicines
Consortium to swiftly appraise the drug and hope they will soon
recommend it for use on the NHS."