Vicky Phelan calls on Govt to make cancer drug available

Campaigner Vicky Phelan has called on the Government to make Pembrolizumab available to all women in Ireland with cervical cancer.

The cancer drug has been offered by the State to the 221 women affected by the CervicalCheck crisis.

She said there are other women who should also have the treatment, which is known as Pembro.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live, Ms Phelan said "women want an option, a little bit of hope."

She said a dose of the drug every three weeks costs €8,500 and she said she feels uncomfortable that she is getting the drug and other women are not.

Ms Phelan said while her diagnosis is terminal, Pembro is buying her time and she can now live with the disease.

Áine Morgan, from Loughrea in Co Galway, was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer in October 2015.

She told the programme that she currently has to pay privately for Pembrolizumab.

The 43-year-old said she has gone through chemotherapy and radiotherapy and she now has no other option than Pembrolizumab.

Ms Morgan said it is ridiculous that the drug is "given to one and not the other" and she has called for it to be provided as part of a clinical trial.

She added that "it would be fantastic if we could get access to the drug" as she said the cost for her is not sustainable.

Labour Party Health spokesperson Alan Kelly described the issue as "discrimination."

He said that "there cannot be a situation where women are treated differently."

Mr Kelly has called on the Government to approach the drug companies, saying that all women with cervical cancer should be "given hope, equal access and treated fairly."

In a statement, the Health Service Executive said the use of Pembrolizumab in the treatment of cervical cancer has been approved by the FDA in the US, but does not yet have a licence in Europe.

"We expect that Pembrolizumab will be submitted to the European Medicines Agency for licensing for the treatment of cervical cancer in the future," it said.

It added: "On that basis, the use of the drug for the treatment for cervical cancer cannot yet be considered for national reimbursement by the HSE and is not approved by the HSE for reimbursement."