Download 1 Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer UK Invitation to

Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer UK
Invitation to tender to carry out research into different methods of Health Technology
Assessment (HTA) and a review of proposals for how cancer drugs could be priced and
approved for use in UK health systems.
February 2015
Introduction
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is determined to stop breast cancer taking the women we love.
Our cutting-edge research is focussed entirely on breast cancer. We’re discovering how to
prevent it, how to detect it earlier and how to treat it more effectively. We’re taking on breast
cancer at every stage and for every woman, learning how to control and outwit the disease so
that one day, we can stop it taking lives.
Prostate Cancer UK is the UK’s leading charity for men with prostate cancer and prostate
problems. We support men and provide information, find answers through funding research
and lead change to raise awareness and improve care. The charity is committed to ensuring
the voice of people affected by prostate disease is at the heart of all we do.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer UK have been working for some time in the
area of access to effective and innovative cancer treatments. Nearly 100,000 people are
diagnosed with either breast or prostate cancer every year in the UK and more than 20,000
people die every year from these types of cancer. Prostate and breast cancer are the most
common cancers in men and women respectively. It is essential that people affected by these
diseases have access to the most effective and innovative treatments that have been
developed.
Access to cancer treatments
Over the past few years, a problem has emerged around the availability of new medicines for
cancer. As more is learnt about cancer, it has become possible to develop targeted treatments
which are extremely effective, particularly for advanced forms of the disease. These
treatments can give people with a terminal diagnosis additional months or even years to live
their lives, often with a high quality of life. Unfortunately, many of these treatments are
extremely expensive, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has
been unable to approve a number of clinically beneficial treatments for routine use on the
NHS because they are not deemed a cost-effective use of NHS resources.
The current Government introduced the Cancer Drugs Fund in England in 2010. It is a ringfenced pot of public money intended to give patients access to the very expensive treatments
that NICE is not able to approve. The Cancer Drugs Fund was intended as a short term solution
while the issue of pricing and approval of very expensive medicines was resolved. So far the
long term solution to this issue has not been forthcoming and the Cancer Drugs Fund has not
been without controversy. The availability of the Fund has been extended and its budget has
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been supplemented several times. Rising demand for drugs and a steady rise in drug prices
have caused the Cancer Drugs Fund to become unsustainable, which resulted in NHS England’s
recent decision to remove drugs from the national Cancer Drugs Fund list to ensure that it
operates within budget. It is clear to us that the current system for approving cancer drugs for
use on the NHS is not working.
There are currently several proposals from different organisations about how access to cancer
medicines can be reformed. These include the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency’s (MHRA) early access scheme, adaptive licensing schemes, commissioning through
evaluation as proposed by NHS England and multi-indication pricing.
It is not clear what the best solution to this problem is, which is why Breakthrough Breast
Cancer and Prostate Cancer UK have come together to contribute to the ongoing debate in
this area.
This project
The purpose of this research is to contribute an independent voice to the ongoing debate
about reforming the HTA system in the UK.
This research requires:
1. A comparison of access rates to both new branded cancer drugs and off-patent cancer
drugs in different HTA systems. While we recognise that NICE is viewed
internationally as the model of best practice, we believe that it needs to be improved
and would like to consider what can be learned from international models, including
how social value judgements impact on HTA decisions in different countries.
2. How current proposals (such as early access and adaptive licensing schemes,
commissioning through evaluation and multi-indication pricing) could work in
practice. Case studies for both a common and a rare cancer should be used to
compare how existing and proposed models impact on access to these drugs.
3. While we recognise that health is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland, we would like this research to explore potential avenues for co-operation in
terms of access to cancer drugs.
Key deliverables
The key output of this work will be a report that Prostate Cancer UK and Breakthrough Breast
Cancer can use to inform and influence the discussion on sustainable access to cancer
treatments in the UK. This report should include firm policy calls and suggest long term
solutions to this issue that Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer UK can present to
the next Government.
Consultancy Period
A deadline for this report will be agreed between the consultant and Breakthrough Breast
Cancer and Prostate Cancer UK when a contractor is appointed. However, it is anticipated that
the report will be completed during summer 2015. Any change to this deadline will need to be
discussed and agreed with Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer UK.
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Payment
Bidders should propose an appropriate amount to complete this work thoroughly and to an
exceptional standard. However, please keep in mind that Breakthrough Breast Cancer and
Prostate Cancer UK are charitable organisations and will be considering price when selecting a
contractor for this work.
Outputs
Any intellectual property arising out of this project and the resulting report (“IPR”) will be
jointly owned in equal shares by Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer UK.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is in the process of merging with another charitable organisation
and the two organisations will be replaced by a new organisation, currently known as Project
Beacon. Notwithstanding anything in this Invitation to Tender agreement, Breakthrough Breast
Cancer may, at its election, assign all such IPR to Project Beacon (company number 09347608)
and Prostate Cancer UK hereby provides its consent to such assignment. Prostate Cancer UK
shall use its reasonable endeavours to comply with Breakthrough’s reasonable requests to
affect any such assignment.
Response format
To tender for this contract email the following to Sally Greenbrook, Senior Policy Officer,
Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Weston House, 246 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7EX or
[email protected]:
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A brief description of why you would be well-placed to carry out this work, including
proposed research methodology
A confirmation that you would be able to fulfil the project brief as laid out above
A quote for the project cost (including VAT if applicable)
A declaration of any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest relating to this work,
particularly any conflicts of interest relating to the pharmaceutical industry.
Brief details including experience and past projects carried out by the team and
individual members of the team
Your daytime contact details
Selection timetable
ITT Issued
Submission of tenders
Interviews for shortlisted tenderers
Notification of successful tenderer (TBC)
23 February
by 9am 18 March by email to
[email protected]
Week commencing 23 March
30 March
The successful applicant will be expected to enter into a written consultancy agreement with
Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer UK for the duration of the consultancy
period.
The decision of Prostate Cancer UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer will be final, and we
accept no obligation to explain the reasons for its decision with respect to this tender.
However, we may, at our absolute discretion, offer feedback to unsuccessful tenderers in such
a format and with such content as we may in our absolute discretion think fit.
Key contacts
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If you have any questions regarding this project brief, please contact either:
Sally Greenbrook, Senior Policy Officer, Breakthrough Breast Cancer – 020 7025 2433 or
[email protected]
Or
Hannah Winter, Senior Policy Officer, Prostate Cancer UK – 020 3310 7203 or
[email protected]
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