Minister should aid patients seeking TIL therapies abroad

The plight of local doctor Susan Cosnett in her desperate quest for treatment abroad that she cannot get in Ireland inspired a motion at the latest meeting of Cavan County Council.

Dr Cosnett is facing an increased cost for her Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) treatment in Amsterdam because she is not covered by her insurance provider or the HSE, as the treatment has not been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The retired doctor feels this is “just an excuse” and believes more should be done for people with her type of cancer.

Independent Cllr Brendan Fay does too, and he asked for the local authority to write to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, asking that changes be made to allow health insurers to cover access to proven cancer and TIL therapies available in other countries.

The Belturbet elected representative said that this “could save the lives of Irish citizens who cannot get treatments in Ireland”.

He said, of the €105 billion earmarked for spending in the 2025 Budget, that if the estimated cost of such treatment, around €200,000, was spent each day, “it would take approximately 1,438 years to reach €105 billion.”

“It’s just a perspective of the money the government say they don’t have to pay for this,” stated Cllr Fay, who said that he knew of a man who travelled to Russia for treatment and another woman who went to Mexico.

“This could save a lot of lives,” said Cllr Fay. “It can all be done with the stroke of a pen.”

He concluded that saying 2025 could be too late for Dr Cosnett, and that action is needed now.

Fianna Fáil's Philip Brady backed the motion, saying it was always the community that rallied to the aid of people in their own area.

His party colleague Áine Smith commented that, if there was a chance of treatment working, that a person would “grab it with both hands”.

“It makes great sense,” she said of the motion, which was supported unanimously.