Vidaza patient access scheme sways NICE
pharmafile | February 17, 2011 | News story | Sales and Marketing | Celgene, NICE, Vidaza
Celgene’s Vidaza has been recommended by NICE in final draft guidance issued today.
Vidaza (azacitidine) is recommended as a treatment option for people who are not eligible for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
It is also recommended for patients with intermediate-2 and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia and acute myeloid leukaemia.
The Institute was initially minded not to recommend the drug after it deemed Vidaza was not cost-effective, calculating it would cost £63,000 per QALY gained.
NICE was swayed by a new patient access scheme offered by Celgene, the details of which remain confidential.
The committee agreed that Vidaza met the criteria for being a life-extending, end-of-life treatment and this, combined with the new PAS, has seen the QALY per patient fall to £47,000.
Dr Carole Longson, director at NICE said: “Azacitidine is the first drug that has been developed specifically for treating myelodysplastic syndromes.
“It is not a cure, but it does have the potential to extend patients’ lives by an average of nine months.
“It is a very expensive drug, but the manufacturers [Celgene] have submitted a patient access scheme where the cost will be reduced. We are therefore very pleased to be able to recommend azacitidine as a cost-effective use of NHS resources.”
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of bone marrow disorders, where the marrow doesn’t produce enough of one or more types of blood cells.
The majority of patients with MDS receive best supportive care in current clinical practice and some patients receive low dose chemotherapy – it is estimated there are around 700 patients with these syndromes in England and Wales.
Cancer charity backs NICE decision
Mike Hobday, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “This is superb news for cancer patients with rarer cancers.
“We are extremely pleased with NICE’s decision especially as people with myelodyplastic syndrome, chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia, and acute myeloid leukaemia have often been faced with limited treatment options.”
Hobday also said he wanted the government’s £200 million Cancer Drugs Fund, that will begin in April and fund drugs not approved by NICE, should be prioritised for drugs designed to treat rarer cancers.
“It is also important that cancer patients are supported to make informed decisions about their drug treatment options and that funding decisions are well monitored and made in a timely and transparent way to avoid a ‘postcode lottery’,” he said.
“We look forward to hearing how the £200 million Cancer Drugs Fund will be delivered and hope it will end the inequality around access to treatments that currently exists.”
Ben Adams
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