If passed, the off-patent drugs bill, which has its second reading in the Commons on 6 November, would allow doctors to prescribe existing drugs for new clinical uses, meaning that those which are no longer subject to marketing protection can be licensed by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency). This could have a major impact on the future of medical research and treatments, namely breast cancer prevention. For instance, tamoxifen was historically used as a treatment, but ground-breaking clinical trials have shown that it can stop the disease occurring in the first place. We need the government to back this bill so doctors are legally allowed to prescribe tamoxifen – and numerous other drugs – in new ways. Off-patent drugs are sitting on shelves gathering dust because pharmaceutical companies have no incentive to endorse them. As a charity entirely dedicated to the prediction and prevention of breast cancer, this bill is of critical importance to us as it plays a crucial role in preventing the disease for future generations.
Lester Barr
Chairman, Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention
