DYING DAD IS DENIED DRUG THAT WOULD GIVE HIM MORE TIME WITH HIS CHILDREN

TERMINALLY ill former Welsh Rugby Union commercial director has had his request for a potentially life-extending drug turned down in the midst of his latest fundraising efforts.

- BEN JAMES Reporter

Craig Maxwell, who was diagnosed with incurable and inoperable lung cancer in September 2022, has been undergoing chemotherapy alongside using amivantamab a drug not yet approved in the UK, but one Mr Maxwell says could give him an extra “invaluable” six months with his family.

Having previously been turned down for funding, Mr Maxwell had to pay for the first quarter of his treatment himself, recently telling our website WalesOnline it cost him nearly £22,000.

The treatment is approved in the US and some parts of Europe but is not yet freely available in the UK, with it currently going through the NHS approval process.

Prior to applying to an Individual Patient Funding Request panel, Mr Maxwell said the costs of continuing on the drug would be around £100,000.