NICE stands firm on Tarceva
pharmafile | March 11, 2011 | News story | | Cancer, NICE, Roche, Tarceva, erlotinib
NICE has not recommended Roche’s lung cancer drug Tarceva because its effectiveness as a maintenance therapy remains unclear.
NICE is currently appraising the use of Tarceva (erlotinib) as a maintenance treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer patients who have had first line treatment with chemotherapy.
Tarceva has been shown to have some clinical benefit, with Roche estimating it can potentially extend life by approximately three months.
But NICE’s final draft guidance has not recommended the drug as the independent appraisal committee did not feel the evidence was “sufficiently robust” to demonstrate this extension to life.
Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, said: “The aim of maintenance treatment is to prolong the benefits of treatment and to maximise quality of life for as long as possible.
“We have already recommended [Lilly’s chemotherapy drug] Alimta (pemetrexed) as a maintenance treatment under certain circumstances and are disappointed not to have been able to recommend erlotinib.
“However, where Alimta was shown to offer a potential additional 5.2 months of life to patients, it is uncertain how much benefit erlotinib can offer as a maintenance treatment.”
Roche had agreed a patient access scheme with the Department of Health in which the cost of the drug would be reduced by 14.5% (that is, £1394.96 for a pack of 30 tablets [150 mg]).
It would normally cost £1631.53 for a pack of 30 tablets (150 mg), with Roche estimating the average cost of using the drug would be approximately £6,400 per patient.
Next month the government’s Cancer Drugs Fund, worth £200 million over the next financial year, will come online and Roche hopes this could allow a small number of patients in England access to Tarceva even if NICE does not approve the drug.
NICE will issue its final guidance on Tarceva in April.
Ben Adams
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