NICE rejects kidney cancer drug

19 April 2011 Last updated at 01:44 GMT Everolimus can help increase survival rates in some cases of kidney cancer A drug to treat an advanced form of kidney cancer will not be made available on the NHS in England and Wales.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) ruled that everolimus, which can prolong life in some cases, was too expensive.

The charity Kidney Cancer UK, which appealed against earlier draft guidelines, said it was disappointed.

Each year, 4,000 patients are diagnosed with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Two drugs, sunitinib and pazopanib, have been approved for use by the NHS.

Everolimus, also known as Afinitor, has been shown to increase overall survival in cases where the other two have failed.

Too costly

It costs more than £200,000 per patient for a full course of treatment.

Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE chief executive, said: "We regret not to be able to recommend this drug, but we have to ensure that the money available to the NHS, for treating cancer and other conditions is used to best effect, particularly when the NHS, like the rest of the public sector, is under considerable financial pressure."

Dr Pat Hanlon, from Kidney Cancer UK, said his reaction was: "one of deep disappointment".

He added: "We know the NHS cannot afford all drugs, but they are effectively robbing people of a few months of life."

He recommended that doctors and patients apply for help from the government's cancer drug fund, which can be used for medication not approved by NICE.

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Iceland rejects repayment deal

10 April 2011 Last updated at 06:31 GMT Jonas Margeir Ingolfsson, Iceland's Channel 2 TV: "Iceland will now make its case in court"

Icelanders have rejected the latest plan to repay the UK and Netherlands some 4bn euros lost when the country's banking system collapsed in 2008.

Partial referendum results show 58% voting no, and 42% supporting the plan.

"The worst option was chosen. The vote has split the nation in two," Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir said on state TV.

It is the second time a referendum has rejected a repayment deal, and the case will now go to an international court.

Landsbanki ran savings accounts in the UK and Netherlands under the name Icesave and investors there lost 4bn euros (£3.5bn; $5.8bn).

When it collapsed in 2008, the British and Dutch governments had to reimburse 400,000 citizens - and Iceland had to decide how to repay that money.

'Such a revulsion'

"The Icelandic nation has been put in a terrible situation," Reykjavik voter Helgi Sigurdsson told the Associated Press news agency.

"It has two choices - both are bad. Probably a lot of people stood for a long time holding the ballot slip."

Parliament had backed this deal, but President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson refused to sign it, leading to the referendum.

Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir: "Disappointing numbers"

A previous deal, imposing a tougher repayment regime, was rejected in a March 2010 referendum by 93% of voters.

Finance Minister Steingrimur Sigfusson appeared to rule out a third attempt to persuade voters to accept a repayment deal.

"One cannot really ask a whole nation to agree to such a revulsion," he said.

"I think we're getting a very clear sign from this referendum, that further negotiations are ruled out. No use in trying that again."

The issue will now be referred to an international court, the European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority. a process which could take several years.

Backers of a "yes" vote had argued the repayment deal was the best way to resolve the issue in terms of cost and risk to Iceland.

The "no" camp said the Icelandic taxpayer was under no legal obligation to pay for a private bank's losses and that the deal would put a heavy burden on the nation.

Longer period, lower interest

Under the terms of the rejected deal, Iceland would have paid the money back with 3.3% interest to the UK, and 3% to the Netherlands, over 30 years between 2016 and 2046.

Under the previous proposal, the money was to be paid back with 5.5% interest between 2016 and 2024.

The issue may now have to go to the courts

The actual cost to the state is expected to be much less than the 4bn euros owed, as the government says most of the repayment will come from selling the assets of Landsbanki.

The government has said it does not expect the cost to exceed 50bn kronur (£168m).

Analysts say a resolution of the issue is vital to Iceland's prospects for recovery because it would allow the country to return to the financial markets to fund itself.

Solving the dispute is also seen as key to Iceland's chances of joining the EU.

Iceland's three main banks collapsed within days of each other in October 2008.

The government compensated Icelandic savers, but overseas customers faced losing all of their money.

The issue sparked a diplomatic row between Iceland and the UK, and created uncertainty over Iceland's economic recovery.

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Brazil rejects dam halt request

6 April 2011 Last updated at 15:04 GMT Local indigenous groups have been vocal opponents of the project Brazil has said a request to halt work on its massive hydro-electric dam in the Amazon rainforest is unjustified despite environmental concerns.

Brazil's foreign ministry was responding to the request by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The commission said the construction of the Belo Monte dam should be suspended until the concerns of indigenous people in the area were addressed.

There are fears the dam would displace some 20,000 people and damage wildlife.

Controversial project

On Tuesday, Brazil's foreign ministry described the request by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) - an organ of the Organization of American States - as unjustified and premature.

It said Brazil had acted in an "effective and diligent" manner to respond to demands by environmentalists and indigenous communities living in the northern Para state, where the the $17bn (£10bn) dam would be built.

The ministry added that the federal authorities had carried out all the necessary impact reports on the area.

Last Friday, the IACHR said Brazil should stop the dam's licensing process until its developers consulted with environmentalists and indigenous groups in the area.

The commission was acting in response to a complaint filed last year by the indigenous communities.

The government, in Brasilia, says the dam is crucial for development and will create jobs, as well as provide electricity to 23 million homes.

The 11,000-megawatt dam would be the third biggest in the world - after the Three Gorges in China and Itaipu, which is jointly run by Brazil and Paraguay.

It has long been a source of controversy, with bidding halted three times before the state-owned Companhia Hidro Eletrica do Sao Francisco was awarded the contract last year.

The singer Sting and film director James Cameron have joined environmentalists in their campaign against the project.

They say the 6km (3.7 miles) dam will threaten the survival of a number of indigenous groups and could make some 50,000 people homeless, as 500 sq km (190 sq miles) of land would be flooded.

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