Behind the excitement today about Vedolizumab, a new treatment for Crohn’s, is another tale which does not get the attention it deserves. That story is the financial and human cost of treatments that only manage, but do not cure Crohn’s.
“A lifetime of treatment is estimated to cost the NHS up to £720 million per year, which puts the financial burden on par with other chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.” (Daily Mail, 28th Aug 2014)
Those figures show the current treatment costs, but if every patient in the UK with Crohn’s was treated with Vedolizumab (£12,000 per patient, per year) Crohn’s would cost £2 Billion a year, every year to treat. Treatments that manage, but do not cure are not cost effective and that is before you consider the side effects and inconvenience of needing regular infusions.
Unlike CCUK who today said:
“Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are life-long incurable conditions and we welcome a new treatment option for people living with these debilitating illnesses.” (CCUK, Facebook page, 28th Aug 2014)
- We believe Crohn’s can be cured.
- We believe it need not be a life long condition.
- We believe more funding needs to be made available to complete research into MAP, as this is the only route to a potential cure backed by years of scientific studies and hundreds of research papers.
So, before you celebrate the arrival of a new treatment, learn more about the potential cure and support the Crohn’s MAP Vaccine. You support will make this happen!