Cancer Charities & Drugs Companies

Matt_Nixon

Not really money saving, but does anyone know how all themoney we give to say Cancer Research, how do the drugs they create find theirway back into the NHS?

Hermia

Presumably the cancer charities fund drug trials in universities and teaching hospitals. But, after that the drug just goes through the normal process which will eventually mean that it is available via the NHS. E.g. it will become licensed and then NICE will evaluate whether it should be made available via the NHS.

There is some info here: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Gettingtreatment/Accesstotreatment/Howtreatmentsaremadeavailable.aspx

Matt_Nixon

I was coming from the point of expensive cancer drugs being funded even partially from charity funds.

Anyone know how the cut off between charity and business works?

PintAndAPie

Matt_Nixon wrote: »

I was coming from the point of expensive cancer drugs being funded even partially from charity funds.

Anyone know how the cut off between charity and business works?

Apart from MacMillan, cancer charities are pretty much indistinguishable from business.

Matt_Nixon

My worry is that we fund these charities, who invent new wonder drugs, then sell them back to the NHS for lots of cash?

Laescha

The expense of researching a drug is separate from the expense of mass-producing it. Charity donations (should) go towards the former; but production of the drugs once researched also needs to be funded, and it's funded by the purchase price that the NHS pays.

That's not to say that the margins aren't offensively high, though, nor that the NHS isn't being taken for a ride by unscrupulous drug companies.