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Solicitor Welcomes Change of Heart on Asbestos Drug
Brigitte Chandler
Brigitte Chandler
Swindon solicitor, Brigitte Chandler, who specialises in advising victims of asbestos related cancer, today (9 July) welcomed the decision by NHS drug advisers to reverse their decision to block a drug for treatment of the disease.
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) has said Alimta (pemetrexed disodium) can now be used in cases for advanced mesothelioma. Under today’s revised guidance, Alimta is recommended for patients who are able to carry out day-to-day tasks but whose cancer is advanced and where surgery is inappropriate.
“This is great news for all of us who have campaigned to get the guidance changed,” says Brigitte Chandler of solicitors, Charles Lucas & Marshall. “It is one of the very few treatments available for mesothelioma which benefits patients.”
If there are no appeals against the new NICE guidance, the drug will be issued to the NHS in the next few months.
About 1,600 people a year develop mesothelioma – asbestos related cancer – which can take up to 60 years to develop. People who suffer from the condition invariably come from a variety of backgrounds including railways, shipping, construction, carpentry and plumbing.
In Swindon the number of people who have developed mesothelioma has been particularly high because of the town’s historic links with the railway industry.
“The NICE decision is excellent news for all people suffering from this dreadful disease – and their carers,” says Brigitte Chandler.
For further information please contact Brigitte Chandler on 01793 511055 or brigitte.chandler@clmlaw.co.uk
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