Pralsetnib was accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium on an interim basis on Monday
Drug to treat rare form of lung cancer approved for use in Scotland.
A medicine which could help treat a rare type of lung cancer has been approved for use in Scotland.
By Vidushi Tiwari ON STV NEWS
Pralsetnib was accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) on an interim basis on Monday, for the treatment of a rare type of advanced, non-small cell, lung cancer.
It was joined by two other drugs, all three considered through SMC’s Patient and Clinician Engagement (PACE) process – which is used for end of life medicines and rare conditions.
Pralsetinib will be made available while further information is gathered, following which the SMC will review evidence and make a decision on routine availability to the general public.
Bulevirtide was accepted on Monday for the treatment of chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection – a rare and more severe type of hepatitis – in adults with liver disease.
Nintedanib was accepted for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic, progressive lung disease.
SMC chair Mark MacGregor said: “SMC has accepted pralsetinib for use on an interim basis. The clinical evidence is promising but highly uncertain.
“The committee look forward to reviewing the updated evidence when available to ensure that this treatment offers good value to patients in NHSScotland.”
Members of the SMC Committee make their decisions based on a broad range of evidence in order to help health professionals deliver the best possible care within the finite resources available.
They consider detailed evidence presented by pharmaceutical companies, patient groups and clinicians in order to decide which medicines provide value for money for NHS Scotland.
Meanwhile, on a very different matter, cases of gonorrhoea in Scotland are now almost 50% higher than the number recorded in the year before the coronavirus pandemic.
Figures released by Public Health Scotland (PHS) on Tuesday show 5,641 cases of the sexually transmitted infection were recorded in 2022 – up 49% from 3,776 cases in 2019.
NHS Lothian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Tayside had the highest rates of the disease, reporting 226, 200 and 190 per 100,000 of the population respectively.
Dr Kirsty Roy, consultant in health protection at PHS, said: “The recent increase in gonorrhoea cases is concerning and likely reflects a real increase in new infections, as well as existing infections undiagnosed because of reduced access to testing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection which can be easily treated and we would encourage everyone to practice safe sex. The best way to reduce your risk of catching gonorrhoea and other sexually transmitted infection is the correct and consistent use of a condom for sex with new and casual partners.”
Cases of gonorrhoea were steadily increasing prior to the Covid-19 pandemic but have increased rapidly since the end of 2021.
The majority of cases in Scotland over the most recent ten-year period are in men, notably gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. However, there has been an increase in infections among young heterosexual men and women in 2022.
What is gonorrhoea?
Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus. It is passed from person to person through unprotected (without a condom) vaginal, anal or oral sex.
It can be cured, and harm limited, if the appropriate antibiotic is taken at an early stage.
Many people with gonorrhoea will not notice any symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they usually show up between one to 14 days after becoming infected by the organism.
If you are concerned about gonorrhoea or other sexually transmitted infections, further information on the signs and symptoms and where to seek advice is available on NHS Inform.