TARCEVA

Motion Text

That this House congratulates physicians and the pharmaceutical industry on their success in increasing the life expectancy of cancer patients and looks forward to further improvements; questions the use of propagandist direct mailing to honourable Members by Roche Pharmaceuticals advertising the drug Tarceva which may raise false hope among the terminally ill; notes that the drug costs £1,631 a month, creates serious adverse side effects, including death, in 10 per cent. of patients and increases life expectancy in pancreatic cancer patients by an average of only 12 days; and believes that honourable Members have no role in promoting the use of Tarceva until it has had a thorough scientific appraisal from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence.