Blood Cancer UK is considering taking part in a NICE health technology appraisal of an antiviral medicine for the treatment of COVID-19, Molnupiravir.
We’re trying to establish if and how it might benefit the blood cancer community. The treatment is an oral, antiviral treatment that could be taken at home. This would potentially be an option for individuals who have contraindications and are unable to take currently available treatments (Paxlovid and Sotrovimab).
To inform if and how we take part in this appraisal, we’re interested in hearing from people with blood cancer who, after testing positive for COVID-19 and contacting a Covid medicines delivery unit/service, were unable to have a post-exposure treatment because:
Your condition or treatment had contraindications which meant you couldn’t take Paxlovid or Sotrovimab
You had to pause your blood cancer treatment in order to take Paxlovid or Sotrovimab
You were unable to or had problems arranging travel to receive a Sotrovimab infusion
If any of these apply to you, we’d really like to hear about your experience.
Feel free to share below or if you’d prefer, you can email our Policy Team at policy@bloodcancer.org.uk
I’m interested in seeing the direction this takes. I know I am contraindicated for Paxlovid (due to the low level of my kidney function). So I will be pushing for Sotrovimab if I get Covid even though this isn’t meant to be that effective now? I thought molnupiravir had even less efficacy , I would worry that lobbying for it , might push the NHS into giving it as a cheaper option but a less effective option (although I recognise it’s easier to deliver in tablet form than an IV infusion with sotrovimab). Not aware of anyone contraindicated to sotrovimab (only Paxlovid) , shouldn’t we be lobbying to find better ways of getting that provided to people on a timely basis eg sorting out transport , delivery locations of it ? And frankly we need to see better , more effective treatments coming through the system with quicker approvals by NICE on them, personally I don’t place a lot of faith in the efficacy of sotrovimab or Molnupiravir but they are all we’ve got. Not convinced taking part in this appraisal would be a good use of your excellent but limited resources.
I think resources should be used elsewhere.
Please could they be used to get monoclonal antibodies to us faster,
Sipavibart (Evesheld 2) or any other monoclonal antibody drugs in the pipeline. Sipavibart has already been given emergency approval in France and Pemgarda is available in USA. Why are we so far behind? Why are we still looking at drugs to treat it rather than drugs to prevent it because prevention is better than cure.
I thought Molnupiravir was already approved as an antiviral.?
Totally agree Ted. Unfortunately the manufacturer of Pemgarda hasn’t applied for approval for it to U.K. authorities yet. But yes I agree that any lobbying efforts to speed up the MHRA and NICE approvals process of pre exposure prophylactics would be very welcome
When I caught covid in 2022 the best treatment for me was sotrivomib as discussed by my consultant with GP and CMDU
It’s noted on all my follow up letters that I had sotrivomib
I was given the infusion next to our cancer unit the same day
Like other respondents, I don’t think this trial would be as useful as:
supporting other preventive therapies
development of other, better alternatives to Paxlovid
breaking the ‘gatekeeping’ powers of the CMDU to enable Consultants to prescribe antivirals
I have contracted Covid19 twice (despite being fully vaccinated - just had my 9th) and am fortunate in being able to take Paxlovid. On both occasions, once I managed to get the tablets they were extremely effective.
On both occasions, in two different CMDU areas, access to the antivirals was extremely challenging in terms of administrative hurdles, incompetence of staff, poor communication etc.