http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDPHqg895yk

Cystic Fibrosis sufferer Jillian McNulty (from her hospital bed) discusses the withdrawal of funding for the drug Kalydeco. Jillian is among 120 people in Ireland who require the medication

The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics this week ruled the drug was “not cost effective””.

Kalydeco is described by CF Ireland as “one of the most important advances in the treatment of cystic fibrosis since the discovery of the CF gene” [in 1989]. It helps sufferers “breathe more easily, gain weight and resulted in significant improvements in quality of life.”

Price Agreement Expected On Cystic Fibrosis Drug (Colin Gleeson, Irish Times)

Response To Decision On Kalydeco (CFIreland)

 

What you may need to know:

1. It’s Die Hard in The White House.

2. It’s one of two Die Hard in The White House movies coming out this year. The other one, White House Down (2013) stars Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, and is directed by the guy who did Independence Day.

3. Gerard Butler accepted a challenge following his breakthrough role in 300 (2006), to see how many utterly brutal movies he could star in. It’s been going pretty well. Here, he looks puffy and pissed off, as only a man who starred in The Bounty Hunter (2010), The Ugly Truth and Playing For Keeps (2012) could.

4. Morgan Freeman. Sure, why not?

5. How much bad CGI? A lot of bad CGI. How many cliches? ALL the cliches.

6. We’d be happier if Steven Seagal was in it instead.

Release Date: April 19 (US: March 22).

Legal reaction to sentencing by Mr Justice Paul Carney which saw a 72-year-old sex offender walk free from court on Monday has been mixed. Patrick O’Brien from Bray, Co Wicklow, was sentenced to 12 years with nine suspended for raping and sexually assaulting his daughter, Fiona Doyle, over a nine-year period, but was released on continuing bail pending an appeal.

In passing sentence, Mr Justice Carney noted that in another judgment, the Kennedy case in 2008, the Court of Criminal Appeal suspended a moderate sentence imposed on the basis of the health of the accused.

He said that in that judgment he was “horrified” to find the Director of Public Prosecutions, “behind my back, saying it’s a matter of indifference” whether the accused served a prison sentence or not.

He said he believed he was taking a moderate position by imposing a sentence of 12 years for the rape charges, along with concurrent sentences of three years for the indecent assault.

Barrister Paul Anthony McDermott said Mr Justice Carney may have felt the Kennedy case “somehow tied his hands”.

He said the sentence showed the judge felt the law was “uncertain” when “dealing with elderly, very sick defendants who nonetheless have committed very serious crimes”.

An ass.

That’s what the law is.

Previously: Judge Of The Day

Trial judge ‘may have felt hands tied’ (Joanne Hunt, Irish Times)

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