Compassionate medicine schemes help patients with cancer live better and for longer — why are they not more widely used?

A diagnosis of incurable cancer is devastating, but too often the tragedy is compounded by limited or delayed access to effective treatments. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) must ensure treatments represent value for money before market authorisation​[1]​. However, there can be a 12-year delay between clinical trials, licensing and positive drug guidance​[2,3]​.