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A cancer patient in the UK has won her battle with her primary care trust to obtain a drug which could extend her life by years, her solicitor has said.
Anne MacFarlane, 65, a multiple myeloma sufferer, was told by specialists that she needed the £16,000 drug Lenalidomide.
North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust initially refused to fund the treatment since recommendations by the patient’s consultants were made in November last year.
But after a six-month legal fight, Mrs MacFarlane has now been told she can get the drug.
Her solicitor, Lisa Wild, from law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “We have received confirmation from the PCT that they feel that Anne’s is an exceptional case and they are going to fund the drug for her. This is fantastic news for her.
“She is joyful today. She is so upbeat and extremely positive. It could potentially, based on new evidence, extend her life by up to three years.”
Mrs MacFarlane, of Bedale, North Yorkshire, was first diagnosed with the disease, a cancer of the blood cells, in June 2004.
She was advised in November last year by three consultant haematologists that she needed Lenalidomide.
Following an unsuccessful appeal to the PCT in February, Mrs MacFarlane lodged judicial review proceedings against the trust.
The case was due to be heard at the High Court last week but the PCT made a decision to hold another appeal hearing instead.
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