Tynwald rejects cancer drug plea

A plea for a specialist drug to be funded for a Douglas man suffering from pancreatic cancer was rejected by Tywnald this evening (Wednesday).

North Douglas member Bill Henderson had tabled a motion for Sunitinib to be provided by the NHS for one of his constituents.

The drug is currently available on prescription in Scotland, but not in England.

Mr Henderson's motion failed to find support among Tynwald members, who were told it was very costly, and clinical advice suggested there was no guarantee it would extend a patient's life for more than a few months.