| Southport People Sight Breakthrough |
| Friday, 14 December 2007 | |
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Local MP John Pugh today welcomed a decision which could see hundreds of local residents given access to a drug previously denied to them by the NHS. Lucentis is a drug used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration - the leading cause of sight loss in the UK. Previous restrictions as to who was eligible to receive it meant 20,000 people in the UK would have been condemned to blindness each year.
After corresponding with several local people who had been denied
treatment, Dr Pugh contacted the National Institute for Health and
Clinical Excellence (NICE) with resident's concerns, and has campaigned
vigorously for the use of the drug. Now, after conducting an internal review, the Institute have reversed a ruling that stated only patients who were affected in both eyes were eligible, meaning hundreds of local people could now have access to a drug which could potentially save their sight. John hailed the decision as "a fantastic early christmas present" and stressed the need to inform people of the decision as early as possible.  "People who had previously been denied this drug - which was widely available in Scotland - may now qualify for up to 14 injections a year. It is vital that people contact their GPs as soon as possible to see if they are now eligible. This drug gives hundreds of local people hope that their site may be saved and we're delighted that NICE have reversed their decision." Photo: Lucentis can now be prescribed to those showing signs of age-related macular degeneration from a retinal scan. John Pugh appears to be in the clear - for now. |