Alimta

Mr. Hepburn
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the Government’s policy is on the use of the drug Alimta;

(2) which health authorities in England prescribe the drug Alimta.

Andy Burnham
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is currently conducting an appraisal of Alimta for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Alimta is licensed for this indication and there are currently no national restrictions on the prescribing of this drug.

In 2005, Alimta was prescribed in secondary care in 22 out of 28 strategic health authorities (SHAs). Details of the SHAs in which the drug has been prescribed cannot be provided due to contractual restrictions on how data on drugs issued in hospitals can be used. The information available to the Department may not capture prescribing as part of a clinical trial. Alimta has never been prescribed in primary care in England.