The Health Minister Simon Harris is appealing to the manufacturers of two cancer drugs to “show some compassion” to patients while a decision is made on funding the medicines.

The HSE is to meet this week to decide if pembrolizumab and nivolizumab will be made available under HSE schemes.

Harris has said the care of patients has to be the absolute priority and he has asked the HSE to make a decision as quickly as possible.

However, the Minister has said the manufacturers have a role to play too.

“Can I, this afternoon, appeal to the drug manufactures to show some compassion,” said Harris.

“They previously had ran a compassion access programme – which a number of Irish patients benefited from – that programme has closed now. What I would, respectfully, ask the drug manufacturers this afternoon is, to reopen that compassion access programme whist this approval process is ongoing.”