Saqib Bhatti, Member of Parliament for Meriden, presented a petition in the House of Commons on behalf of his constituent Elaine Lynch. The petition called for NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) to authorise the use of the drug Enhertu for NHS cancer treatment among patients with the HER2 mutation. This petition received tremendous support on change.org with over 166,000 signatures before being laid before Parliament.
Elaine was diagnosed with stage 4 Metastatic Lung Cancer in 2021 and has undergone several treatments, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. This form of cancer is incredibly aggressive, and she was recommended Enhertu by her oncologist as it targets the HER2 mutation that she has. The drug currently holds approval exclusively for the treatment of breast cancer and therefore is not available on the NHS for patients suffering from other forms of cancer, but is available in the U.S.A. for different types of cancer treatment. For Elaine to be able to access this drug she must privately fund its use, which could cost up to £9,040 every three weeks. To attempt to cover this cost Elaine’s children have started a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over £19,000 since its inception.
Commenting on the petition, Saqib said:
“Elaine’s plight is one that is incredibly close to my heart. Everyone should have access to the best medication possible for any affliction they are suffering from, let alone cancer. It is of the utmost importance to me that my constituents have access to the best quality healthcare available and I will be doing everything I can to support Elaine in her pursuit of that.”
“It is truly inspiring to see someone advocate for not only themselves but for some of the most vulnerable people in society. Elaine is an amazing example of someone fighting for the greater good, and I am behind her all the way.”
Elaine Lynch said:
“I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to Mr Bhatti for his support, it means the world to have him on our side. It is hugely important that this matter is brought to the attention of those with the ability to influence change, not just for my benefit but for all the others who are in the same situation and being denied a drug with proven efficacy just because of the type of cancer they have.”
