The HSE should never pay more than €50,000 a year for any cancer drug according to one of the country’s leading health experts.

Professor John Crown wants the HSE to approve new treatments that are safe for patients with advanced melanoma.

Many of the drugs are already available elsewhere, including Greece, but it is the claimed the delay in forming a Government has stopped them from getting the green light here.

One of the treatments, known as Pembro, is €134,000 a year in the US.

However, Professor Crown thinks international rules on drug costs could force the makers to drop the price.

“It boils down to emotional blackmail on the part of the companies, this is a big problem which only the collective might of the Western countries (can fix),” said Crown.

“My own sense is that a rule should be made, we will never ever pay you more than €50,000 a year for any cancer drug”.