Brain cancer patients and charities have expressed profound disappointment following the NHS's decision not to fund a new drug, vorasidenib, for a specific type of low-grade glioma. The drug, which targets IDH-mutant gliomas, has shown promising results in clinical trials, offering the potential to significantly delay tumour progression and the need for more invasive treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Vorasidenib is an oral medication designed for patients with grade 2 IDH-mutant glioma, a form of brain cancer that often affects younger adults, typically between the ages of 20 and 40. This type of tumour, while slow-growing, can eventually lead to severe neurological symptoms and often requires aggressive treatment as it progresses. Clinical trials indicated that vorasidenib could extend the period before patients required further intervention by an average of 16.7 months.
The decision not to fund the drug has been described as 'devastating' by patient advocacy groups and individuals living with the condition. They argue that there have been very few new treatment options for this type of brain tumour in decades, making vorasidenib a significant advancement. Its potential to improve quality of life by delaying debilitating treatments is a key benefit highlighted by supporters.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently assessing vorasidenib, with a final decision on its recommendation for NHS use anticipated in July. However, the initial stance from the NHS has raised concerns about access for patients. If NICE does not recommend the drug, or if funding remains an issue, access could become a 'postcode lottery', with some patients potentially able to access it through private healthcare or clinical trials, while others on the NHS might not.
For patients, the implication is a continued reliance on existing treatments, which can carry significant side effects and impact long-term quality of life. The lack of new therapeutic options in this area of oncology underscores the urgency felt by the brain tumour community for innovative drugs to be made available on the NHS. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the UK, yet receive a disproportionately low share of cancer research funding compared to their impact.