Press Release

High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, (9 November 2009). – Today, Janssen-Cilag, welcome the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) approval of the wider use of its cancer medicine, Velcade (bortezomib) within NHS Scotland. Velcade has now been approved as a monotherapy for the treatment of progressive multiple myeloma in patients who are at first relapse from their front line therapy and who have already undergone or are unsuitable for bone marrow transplantation1. The announcement also sees the introduction of the first patient access scheme for cancer patients to be approved through the new approval mechanism and endorsed by the SMC, the innovative Velcade Response Scheme (VRS) whereby NHS Scotland will only pay for the medicine if patients adequately respond to treatment1.

“This is excellent news for myeloma patients in Scotland” explained Eric Low, Chief Executive at Myeloma UK, “Velcade is a very effective treatment for patients whose myeloma has returned after initial treatment. I applaud the efforts of the SMC and the manufacturer for their role in this positive outcome for myeloma patients in Scotland.’’
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood based cancer that affects 3500 patients across the UK each year. Velcade is a chemotherapy medicine that is an effective treatment for multiple myeloma and is licenced in combination with two other medicines, melphalan and prednisone, for use in previously untreated patients who are ineligible for high-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation2. Velcade is also licensed for use as monotherapy for the treatment of progressive multiple myeloma in patients who have received at least one prior therapy and who have already undergone or are unsuitable for bone marrow transplantation2. Today’s announcement ensures that patients in Scotland relapsing from their first line treatment for multiple myeloma will now have access to Velcade as a treatment option at first relapse. Velcade has previously been accepted for use within NHS Scotland for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma at second relapse and beyond.
The SMC decision is based on strong efficacy data for Velcade, demonstrating increased time to progression and improved survival3 compared to dexamethasone (a steroid) alone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. Velcade also offers patients the chance of a treatment free interval of up to two years for patients achieving a complete response4. This is an important benefit to patients, relieving them from the burden of their disease and the chemotherapy treatments for a valuable period of time.
Velcade also demonstrated that it provides cost effective treatment for use within NHS Scotland at first relapse incorporating the VRS.
Since Velcade received NICE guidance in October 2007, Velcade has become a standard of care for multiple myeloma patients at first relapse across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This guidance will now mean that patients in Scotland will also have access to Velcade at first relapse.

Janssen-Cilag is committed to putting patients first, to providing innovative medicines for unmet medical needs as well as value to the NHS. Explaining what the decision means to the company, Peter Barnes, Medical Director at Janssen-Cilag UK said, “Our patient access programme the ‘Velcade Response Scheme’, provides value to the NHS in England, Wales and NI-and we are delighted that it will now be available in Scotland for multiple myeloma patients. In these difficult economic times we are committed to providing value to the NHS and this programme effectively reimburses the NHS if a patient does not adequately respond to Velcade.”
Editor's Details

Elisabeth Neal
Burson-Marsteller
020 7300 6137
elisabeth.neal@bm.com

Last updated on: 27/08/2010 11:40:18