Health Secretary Vaughan Gething has announced that ovarian cancer drug niraparib (Zejula®) will be routinely available on the Welsh NHS.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Following the recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and an agreement between the manufacturer Tesaro and NHS Wales, Welsh patients with ovarian cancer will be able to benefit from the treatment.
Since the introduction of the Welsh Government’s £80 million New Treatment Fund new medicines such as niraparib (Zejula®) are available much more quickly, with the average time for new medicines to be become available after a NICE recommendation down to 10 days, well ahead of the 60-day target.
Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething, said:
“I am delighted that niraparib (Zejula®) will now be available to treat ovarian cancer patients in Wales, following the recommendation by NICE and negotiations with the manufacturer.
“This is another example of a new medicine becoming available to patients in Wales much more quickly, thanks to our £80m investment in the New Treatment Fund. Since its introduction more than 100 new medicines have been made available on the NHS Wales much more quickly than before.”