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Paying privately for Avastin (Bevacizumab) - Is there another way to access this?

Trunki212
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Hi

My mum has stage 4 bowel cancer and we have gone through all the different options of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and now we only have Longsurf tablet (Chemotherapy) and Avastin as the last resort. The Avastin (bevacizumab) is not available on the NHS so we are having to pay for it privately, which is costing us £1500 per cycle and my mum will need 2 cycles a month (£3,000 a month). We will be accessing this through a private hospital in London, I am wondering if there is another way to access Avastin which could lower the cost?

I have read that some people are accessing Avastin directly from the manufacturer with the Patient Access Scheme and getting a nurse to administer at home? the cost of this is significantly cheaper. Do you know the process on how to do this?

Any guidance or pointing in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

  • Dear Trunki212 

    Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to the Online Community. I’m Debbie, one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line. I am sorry to hear that your mum has bowel cancer that has spread and I can understand your need for information and support at this time.

    Here at the Macmillan Support Line, we can give general information and support. We are independent from the NHS and don’t have access to medical records so we can’t give personalised information. Your mum’s treatment team are in the best position to advise on the most appropriate treatments for her and how to access them.

    The combination of Lonsurf and Avastin has not yet been assessed and evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE approves medicines for use on the NHS. So this combination is not currently available on the NHS. This page on our website describes the different ways that you might be able to access medicines through the NHS in this situation. Your mum’s doctors may be able to make an Individual Funding Request (IFR) but this process can take some time. Or the doctors might be able to suggest a different treatment that is currently approved that might help her, as they are directly involved in her care. 

    Patient Access Schemes are set up by drug companies in consultation with the NICE Patient Access Schemes Liaison Unit (PASLU) and can’t be set up for individual patients.

    A recent trial (the Sunlight trial) has suggested that a combination of Lonsurf (also called Trifluridine-tipiracil hydrochloride) and Avastin (bevacizumab) might help to extend life by a few months for some people with advanced bowel cancer. You can read about the trial here on the American National Cancer Institute website. When deciding whether treatments are appropriate for an individual person, doctors always need to assess a person’s physical condition and the effects of their cancer. The doctors also take into account the possible side effects that the treatment might cause.

    There are companies that give chemotherapy at home but we are not able to recommend one. Your mum’s treatment team or the private hospital staff may be able to let you know about appropriate services in your area.

    This situation is very complex and it might be easier to discuss it over the phone. You are very welcome to phone us and talk things through. You can phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm). 

    I hope that this information is helpful. I see that you have already posted this question on our general bowel cancer online forum and hope that you can get support there from other people in a similar situation. 

    Please do contact us by phone to talk this through as we can then explain things more fully. 

    With best wishes to you and your mum and family. 

    Debbie 

    Ref/ DC/KD

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