Just over a third of most new medicines for cancer treatment improve overall survival rate, according to the head of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics.
The centre assesses if new drugs are value for money for the HSE to cover.
Professor Michael Barry told a conference on medicines that many new cancer drugs are very expensive, often costing over €100,000 per patient per treatment course or much more.
He said that the total drug spend this year will be over €4 billion and that drugs have to be assessed for value for money.
He said that early access for patients to new cancer drugs is being considered, but nothing has been agreed yet.
The conference heard that of the 36 new drugs considered for cover in the public system this year, cancer drugs accounted for 58% and a recommendation that they be available in the public system was made in 77% of cases.
Prof Barry said the five-year budget impact for the cancer drugs considered in the first nine months of this year was over €510m at the asking price of the drug firms.
Talks between the State and the pharmaceutical industry are under way to try and agree a new four-year deal on medicines.
The discussions involve talks on early access to new medicines, for public access for new medicines to be made within a set statutory timeframe of 180 days, as well as drug savings for the State.
The aim is to reach an agreement by the end of November.
Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association Director of Commercial Policy Jim McGrath said there is extensive engagement in the talks.
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