Drug Funding

A cancer sufferer has won a High Court battle to be given a £16,000 drug which could extend her life by years.

Anne MacFarlane, 65, was told by specialists that she needed the drug Lenalidomide to treat her multiple myeloma.

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.

Mrs MacFarlane fought a legal battle for six months before she was told she could receive 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. 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 cancer of the blood cells in June 2004.

Three consultant haematologists advised her in November 2007 that she needed Lenalidomide.

Mrs MacFarlane lodged judicial review proceedings against the trust after an unsuccessful appeal to the PCT in February.

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