We are delighted to see that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently approved the use of antifibrotic medication in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis caused by asbestos dust exposure, commonly known as “asbestosis”.
Those suffering with this condition have normally been exposed to very high quantities of the harmful dust, leaving their lungs scarred, and leading to progression and respiratory failure further down the line.
NICE decision welcomed
It is thought that around 15,000 people will benefit from NICE’s decision which could improve patient outcomes.
The decision is welcome as, up until recently, many fibrosis patients had been paying around £3,000 a year to fund the taking of antifibrotic treatment on a private paying basis with many reporting an improvement in their symptoms with reduced coughing and breathing problems.
Professor Gisli Jenkins, Respiratory Consultant at Imperial College, London called the move an “absolute game changer”, adding:
“This remorseless condition has a worse mortality rate than most cancers, with next to no hope of remission and yet there have been few, if any, treatment options for patients.”
Help extended to non-IPF sufferers
It is thought that around 70,000 suffer with different forms of fibrosis nationwide, with the majority suffering with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), with no known cause of their disease. Idiopathic is a medical term for unknown cause. Like asbestosis, there is no known cure for the disease, with patients commonly passing away due to the condition within 5 years of their diagnosis.
Antifibrotic medications such as Nintedanib have been NICE approved on the NHS for IPF sufferers for around 10 years, but thankfully the door is now open for asbestosis sufferers to receive the drugs free of charge in the hope that this improves outcomes for patients.
The drugs will also be available on the NHS for the first time for other fibrosis sufferers who developed the condition after taking medication prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis known as methotrexate, opening up a tunnel of hope for others affected by this debilitating condition.
Campaigners see results
Non-IPF patients and pressure groups have long campaigned for parity in terms of the availability of these treatments, only for their requests to be refused due the absence of drug trial data.
Steve Jones, Chairman of Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis said:
“Britain is the only country in the world where the access of antifibrotics is restricted to only certain pulmonary fibrosis patients.”
Thankfully, German pharmaceutical company Boehringers Ingelheim started a trial of Nintedanib for the treatment of non-IPF patients. The conclusions reached were illuminating as the data showed that the use of the drug was just as effective at slowing the spread of scarring in asbestosis and other non-IPF patients as those who suffered with fibrosis of unknown cause.
Access to the drug will now become readily available for asbestosis sufferers, providing they can show that their lung function has been affected by their disease. This is often uncovered when patients undergo full lung function tests, details of which are often very helpful to us as specialist asbestos disease solicitors when assessing whether an asbestosis sufferer has the right to claim asbestos disease compensation. Many people who are able to claim do suffer with what is known as a “restrictive defect” on their lung function, and together with a history of asbestos exposure, this helps in supporting a formal asbestos claim.
It is hoped that this welcome news will benefit asbestosis sufferers around the country in improving their quality of life, whilst also increasing their life expectancy.
If you require assistance in pursuing an asbestosis compensation claim or believe you have a valid asbestos claim for any other disease, then please contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.