§ Dr. Richard TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement relating to the availability to patients in the west midlands of Herceptin prior to the publication of NICE guidance. [33535]
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§ Yvette CooperMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the National Assembly for Wales have asked the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) to appraise Herceptin for the treatment of advanced breast cancer, and to issue guidance on its use to the national health service in England and Wales. NICE expects to issue guidance on Herceptin in spring 2002.
Data on the number of health authorities in England and Wales currently authorising the use of Herceptin are not collected. However, as with all newly licensed treatments in advance of a NICE appraisal, the Department's advice is that funding authorities should consider the clinical evidence available for a specific treatment before making any decision.