Patients with metastatic breast cancer express their disappointment after meeting with the Minister of Health

Patients with metastatic breast cancer which they presented on July 23 at the Ministry of Health the signatures collected on the platform change.org/CuantoValeUnaVida met yesterday with the Minister of Health, Mónica García, and the General Director of Portfolio and Pharmacy, César Hernández. After the meeting, Patients expressed their dissatisfaction with the response received, considering it “insufficient” and a “non-solution” to their urgent needs..

Those affected, who had collected signatures to demand the inclusion of treatments in the National Health System, consider that the response received does not offer an immediate solution.

Victoria Rodrigo, one of the patients who led the petition, said in a statement that the meeting, which lasted one hour and twenty minutes, failed to offer a concrete solution. Despite the authorities’ willingness to agree on a price for the inclusion of the Enhertu and Trodelvy treatments in the National Health System, the negotiation involves multiple actors, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, in addition to the manufacturing laboratories.Patients were also surprised by the lack of compliance with the procedure that would allow access to these treatments during the negotiation process.

Rodrigo’s statement She stressed that, although they are willing to listen to all the actors involved, the reality is that they still do not have access to the treatments necessary for their health. The lack of an immediate solution endangers the quality of life of patients, who fear that time is a scarce resource for them..

The petition launched by Rodrigo on Change.org, which began on June 25, seeks the inclusion of the drugs Enhertu and Trodelvy in Social Security coverage.. Despite approvals by the EMA and the FDA, and funding of these treatments in 16 countries, Spain has not yet taken the step to include it, which has led patients to intensify their demand..

Patients stress that without these treatments, their treatment options are limited and they are willing to take the necessary actions to gain access to these medications. The situation highlights the urgency of a response by the authorities to ensure that patients with metastatic breast cancer receive the treatment they need to improve their quality of life..