Drugs and treatments turned down by Merseyside and Cheshire PCTs

Oct 9 2007 by David Higgerson, Liverpool Daily Post

Drugs and treatments turned down by Merseyside and Cheshire PCTs

BEXAROTENE – used to treat lung and breast cancer.

Anti TNF Alpha Therapy – used to help reduce effects of Rheumatoid arthritis.

Diphencyprone – used for alopecia to aid re-growth of hair.

Velcade – a drug to help treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cell, approved this year.

Melphalan – a chemotherapy drug used for some forms of cancer.

Prednisolon – used for the treatment of asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and cluster headaches

Pegintereron Alpha and Ribavarin Therapy – can be used to treat hepititis C.

Botulinum Toxin Injections – can be used to control severe muscle spasms.

Etanercept – used to treat Rheumatoid arthritis.

Rituximab – used to treat non-Hodgkins lymphoma (cancer).

Sunitinib – also known as Sutent, can be used for renal and kidney cancer.

Intravesical botox therapy – can be used for bladder cancer.