As we covered earlier this week, the Government’s new Medicines and Medical Devices Bill was laid before Parliament yesterday.

Explaining what the bill hopes to achieve, the Department of Health and Social Care commented: “The new bill means hospitals can use patient tissue and DNA samples to tailor treatments to individual patients when other medicines have failed. This has the potential to streamline access to treatments for patients with rare cancers and brain tumours.”

This indicates that the bill intends to lay the legislative framework for the introduction of, or clinical trials on, innovative treatments such as immunotherapy and genomic-based medicines – both approaches that are personalised to the patient.

Health Minister Baroness Blackwood said: “I am determined to help everyone who uses our world-leading NHS to access pioneering, cutting-edge treatments as soon as possible. The new bill will give our most treasured institution further freedom to innovate to improve the lives of countless people.”

Brain Tumour Research welcomes the reforms proposed by the bill. Brain tumours have seen no major advances in treatment for decades, with long-term survival rates remaining correspondingly low. Although there is more detailed needed, this new piece of legislation should facilitate the delivery of cutting-edge, personalised treatments, which hold promise to those suffering from this devastating disease. 

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