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NEWS UNIVERSITY
Cut to Uni drug work ‘unlawful’
FORGE PRESS Friday March 6 2009
New University Challenge row
By Rebecca Hill A decision by the NHS spending watchdog to restrict the use of a drug based partly on methods developed by a University of Sheffield professor has been ruled unlawful. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) placed constraints on the use of the drug Protelos as a first-line treatment for the bone disease osteoporosis, based in part on methods by Emeritus Professor John Kanis. NICE recommended the cheaper drug Alendronate, but according to the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) this causes unacceptable side effects for 20 per cent of patients. In this case an alternative drug can be used, but the conditions of patients must worsen significantly to enable them to qualify. Osteoporosis affects three million people in Britain. It occurs when Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is reduced, causing increased fractures. It is responsible for 70,000 hip fractures a year, leading to 13,000 premature deaths. As the Director of the Sheffieldbased World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Professor Kanis and his group developed FRAX (Fracture Risk Assessment Tool). This takes into account patient case studies, risk factors (such as smoking and arthritis) and BMD of the top of the thigh bone. Professor Kanis agreed to let NICE use FRAX equations in their own models under strict confidentiality agreements. Due to this, pharmaceutical industries had no access to the full model and could not check NICE’s methods. The Alliance for Better Bone Health, NOS and Servier, the company that makes Protelos, appealed the decision. At the hearing, NICE argued they had contacted Kanis but he refused to release the information. He said: “This is not the case the flavour of the communication was that they wanted to ask but didn’t want me to reply”. Professor Kanis called their requests “disingenuous”. Servier said NICE did not try hard enough to contact Kanis, and Mr. Justice Holman agreed, saying they had not taken all reasonable steps to seek permission to make the data available. He added that Professor Kanis was open to discussion about disclosing information to restricted groups on confidential terms, which has been confirmed by Professor Kanis. A hearing within the month will review the appraisals and possibly see NICE having to scrap the current guidelines, which even its own advisors called unethical and unworkable. They recommended GPs use National Osteoporosis Guidelines instead. NOS hope the ruling will help them prove a number of treatment options are cost effective. Professor David Reid, Chair of NOS, said: “Annual treatment has come down to as little as £20 as opposed to the £53 quoted by NICE.” A spokesperson from NICE said it would invite comment on its economic model and reconsider the guidance with an open mind.
The University of Sheffield team for University Challenge in 2008 consisted of Aditya Balachander, Kathryn Swindells, Paul McKay and Phil Smith. By Mark Duell It has been revealed that the University of Sheffield’s conquerors in last year’s BBC2 University Challenge final fielded an ineligible student. Charles Markland, 23, was in the University of Oxford’s Christ Church College team during the competition, but moved to Balliol College during filming. The news comes after Oxford’s Corpus Christi College were stripped of their title win this year over the University of Manchester after it emerged that team member Sam Kay had already graduated and was in a full-time job. Students taking part ‘must be registered at their university or college for the duration of the recording of the series’, according to the show’s rules. Third year students can compete
if they expect to do postgraduate study at the same college or university. But the University of Oxford stated in a press release after last year’s Christ Church win that Markland “was formerly at Christ Church but is now a student of Balliol College”. The early rounds of the BBC quiz are normally filmed over June and July, with the final in November. However, Markland started a Philosophy doctorate at Balliol in October 2007. A BBC spokesman said: “We didn’t know about this at the time which is why we didn’t do anything. “It would be meaningless to trawl back and take action on any discrepancy that came up. “That would be ridiculous and disproportionate.
“We thought it was right in 2009 when someone told us about an important breaking of the rules.” The University of Sheffield team cruised into the 2008 final last year after beating Oxford’s Magdalen College by more than
Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 100 points in the semi-final. The quartet of Paul McKay, Aditya Balachander, Phil Smith, and Kathryn Swindells also put out the University of Central Lancashire, the University of
Edinburgh, and the University of Exeter. They had expertise in the subjects of Architecture, Chemistry, Linguistics, and Law. McKay said: “As far as myself and the rest of the team are concerned, the player fielded by Christ Church, Oxford was eligible to play. “We accept that we were runners-up and are satisfied that the outcome was fair.” No team from the University of Sheffield has ever won University Challenge. The show’s producer Granada, which is owned by ITV, said: “The University Challenge rules state that team members should all be students of the university or college for the duration of the recording of the series. “These issues were not brought to our attention.”
Students must act quickly in job market By Andrew Webster Pro-Vice-Chancellor Paul White has said that Sheffield students need to “act now before it’s too late” if they are to compete in a recruitment market hit by recession. Professor White is spearheading a number of University initiatives that will ensure Sheffield students are better prepared than their competitors when applying for graduate jobs and internships. He said: “There is a reduction in graduate jobs across the board but this is not universal. “We want to ensure that the greatest number of students possible have the greatest number of skills they can use in the labour market.” The Careers Service is running a series of events, starting on Monday, March 23, under the title ‘Graduating in a Recession’. They include seminars on ‘The future of banking and finance’ and
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Paul White. ‘Marketing yourself effectively’. Steve Fish, Director of the Careers Service, said: “The job market will be more competitive so we are encouraging students to make sure they are well prepared to compete.” Another initiative being followed by Professor White is encouraging academic departments to give
students support in identifying the skills they have gained through their course. Professor White said: “Students develop their skills and don’t realise it. “Departments play a major role in drawing out from their students what it is they can use to sell themselves.” A further way students can market their skills better is through completing the Sheffield Graduate Award. Mr. Fish said the award allows students to demonstrate the skills they have developed alongside their academic achievements. The University is also planning an internship programme to give students and graduates paid work experience as a stepping stone into long term employment. The Careers Service has submitted a funding proposal for the scheme and expects to hear back in early April. These actions are in response to a number of surveys that indicate
fewer graduate opportunities this year. A survey by High Fliers, a graduate recruitment research company, showed that a third of employers have reduced their recruitment budgets whilst the number of applicants is increasing. Final year Architecture student Callie Starkey said: “I have put getting a job on hold. Many people have told me to go and get skills in something else before going into architecture.” Laura Skellington, a second year Speech Science student, said: “I’m waiting to see how it goes. There is a lack of funding in the NHS and they need people but are not hiring.” The message from the University is to remain positive. Professor White said that final year students should take guidance on how they can market themselves in a way that maximises the claims they make on their CV, while other undergraduates should get work experience or volunteer.