Scottish Medicines Consortium recommends Everolimus

Kidney Cancer Scotland welcomes the news today that the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has issued a positive recommendation for the drug everolimus.
Everolimus is an oral treatment that targets the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a protein that regulates tumour cell division The drug has been accepted for use in NHS Scotland as a treatment option for advanced kidney cancer patients who have failed on or after one previous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy.
In a statement, Karen McNee from Kidney Cancer Scotland said: “The news that the SMC have issued a positive recommendation to NHS Scotland on everolimus is excellent for patients across the country. Coupled with the recent SMC processes changes, the outcome of this is that there will be more treatments available to kidney cancer patients in Scotland. Scottish kidney cancer patients now have a choice between two second-line treatments, which is great news for patients living in Scotland, but which adds to the current inequalities of access to second-line therapy within the UK. We are hoping this decision will help to influence National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to recommend second-line treatment for reimbursement in NHS England.”
Kidney Cancer Scotland will continue to work with SMC and to represent the views of kidney cancer patients to ensure access to a choice of cancer drugs in the future.
Kidney cancer survivor Christy Watson said: “This is fantastic news for kidney cancer patients as this now gives us choices in second line treatment available. It will also benefit patients with the hope of longer life expectancy and with this comes hope for the future that maybe one day we will find a cure.”