ACCESS TO VORASIDENIB IN THE UK

When news first broke of the successful trials of Vorasidenib on Low Grade Glioma (LGG) brain tumour patients, many patients and their families were of the opinion that, at last, there was hope for the future.  But it would appear that, at present, this hope is unfounded for patients here in the UK.

LGGs afflict mainly young people – some have not finished their education, many have just begun their careers, some are hoping to start a family whilst some already have children.  All are desperate for an effective treatment to enable them to live their lives as fully as possible. 

It appears from the answer by the Government to MP Daisy Cooper’s written question to Department of Health Minister, Will Quince, that Servier Laboratories Ltd  (the suppliers of Vorasidenib) have yet to make an application to the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for Vorasidenib to be made available in the UK.  In the answer to the question raised by Daisy, the reply was “should Servier make an application to the MHRA under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme the MHRA will consider it”.

In addition to the written question, we have also sought the assistance of other MPs but at present it appears that this is out of the Government’s hands with the ball being firmly in Servier’s court.

Our heartfelt wish is for Servier to reconsider their position and exercise their responsibilities in accordance with their previously stated priority of ensuring fair and equitable access to drugs, reflecting on the fact that a number of UK hospitals gave support to Servier at the clinical trial stage.

Please see below a petition addressed to Servier and requesting that they, as a matter of urgency, make Vorasidenib available to UK patients and that Servier make an application to the MHRA under the early access to medicines scheme.  Servier quote on their website "everything we do is to bring the promise of tomorrow to the patients we serve".

We fervently hope you will support us by signing the petition by clicking on the link below.

Please share this petition and encourage your friends and family members to sign too!

IMPORTANT:   IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED WITH CHANGE.ORG, YOU NEED TO GO TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX AND CONFIRM YOUR SIGNATURE, OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT BE VALID

Thank you so much

Mary (trustee Astro Brain Tumour Fund), Claire (LGG patient), Dawn (mum of LGG patient).

DETAILS OF PETITION:

Trials of the drug Vorasidenib, carried out by the company Servier, in the US and other countries on Low Grade Glioma (LGG) brain tumour patients proved to be successful by way of a longer progression-free survival time.  This was a major breakthrough and brought renewed hope to LGG patients and their families.

However, Vorasidenib is not currently available for UK LGG patients.

By way of this petition, we the undersigned call on Servier, as a matter of extreme urgency:-

1.  To make an application to the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for Vorasidenib to be made available under the UK Early Access to Medicines Scheme

2.    To make Vorasidenib available to all UK patients where supported by application from an oncologist by way of:-

      a) inclusion on a UK expanded access programme or

      b) access through a named patient basis