§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the drug Herceptin in the treatment of breast cancer; and when the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is likely to make a decision on the licensing of Herceptin. [13380]
§ Ms BlearsI apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer her to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 192W.
995WThe Secretary of State and the National Assembly for Wales have asked the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) to appraise Herceptin for breast cancer, and to provide guidance on its use for the national health service in England and Wales.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is expected to give guidance on Herceptin by the end of this month, providing there are no appeals.
NICE is not responsible for the licensing of medicines. Herceptin is a European licensed product whose licence was granted by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA). Medicines Control Agency licensing records the licence as granted on 28 August 2001.