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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 1 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. 2 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]: • • • • • • 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 3 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] 4