Episode 4 – Vicky Phelan’s Story (Part 2) | Accessing Immunotherapy
In this intensely focused episode of “In Conversation with Vicky Phelan,” Activist Vicky Phelan and her solicitor Cian O’Carroll discuss the crucial second phase of her fight: the battle to access the life-extending immunotherapy drug, Pembrolizumab (Pembro), and her campaign to secure it for all women affected by cervical cancer in Ireland. This episode reveals how a personal need for treatment transformed into a national movement for equitable healthcare access.
The Fight for Pembrolizumab Access Refusal of Palliative Care (01:21): Vicky details her fierce resistance to traditional palliative chemotherapy after her terminal diagnosis, believing there had to be a better, less debilitating option for her young family.
The Research & Discovery of Pembro (02:45): Vicky discusses her meticulous personal research that led her to discover Pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug already approved in the US for certain cancers, which offered the potential for better quality and length of life.
The Funding Hurdle (04:19): At the time, Pembro was unlicensed in Europe for cervical cancer and not funded by the HSE. Vicky recounts the enormous €8,500 cost per dose and the necessity of launching a massive, high-profile fundraising campaign to begin treatment.
The State’s Initial Offer (06:08): Following her legal case, the State made an “exceptional measure” decision to fund Pembro, but only for the 221 women affected by the CervicalCheck scandal. This created a clear inequity of access.
The Campaign for Equity (09:12): Vicky explains why she immediately used her platform to campaign for equity of access—demanding that the drug be made available to all clinically suitable cervical cancer patients in Ireland, not just those in the 221+ group. This was the moral cornerstone of her fight.
The Political Victory (12:05): Cian and Vicky confirm the successful outcome of her intensive public and political lobbying: Health Minister Simon Harris eventually agreed to extend access to Pembrolizumab for all cervical cancer patients whose tumours were shown to respond to the treatment, regardless of whether they were part of the CervicalCheck group.
Lasting Impact on Irish Healthcare Vicky Phelan’s successful campaign for Pembro access marked a significant victory for patient rights, ensuring that a life-extending, lower-toxicity treatment became available to a wider cohort of women in Ireland, setting a new standard for drug access outside of the traditional licensing and reimbursement pathway.