Asda to sell non-profit cancer drugs

Cancer sufferers with private medical insurance will soon have another avenue to follow in the pursuit of potentially life-saving drugs following Asda's announcement that it is to begin stocking them at its pharmacies.

The supermarket said that it will sell the drugs on a non-profit basis because thousands of people are being denied them on the NHS due to their cost.

Asda also urged other providers to reduce their prices for all private-prescribed cancer treatments after revealing it intends to offer the drugs for hundreds of pounds less than Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Superdrug.

It plans to sell lung cancer drug Iressa in packs of 30 for £2,167.71, a figure it contrasts with the £2,601.25 charged by Lloyds Pharmacy, £3,251.57 by Boots and £3,253.56 by Superdrug.

Other drugs it will stock include Nexavar and Sutent for kidney tumours and leukaemia medication Glivec.

The Wal-Mart owned retailer's announcement comes after the coalition government stated that it will make more expensive treatments available through the NHS, but not until next April.

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