NICE recommends combination treatment from Roche for certain lymphoma patients
pharmafile | August 21, 2020 | News story | Medical Communications | FDA, FDA Approval
NICE has moved to recommend Roche’s Polivy (polatuzumab vedotin), when combined with rituximab and bendamustine, for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in adult patients whose disease has relapsed or have not responded to primary treatment and are not eligible for a haematopoietic stem cell transplant.
This means that, out of the 4,800 people in England who suffer with the condition, 530 will now be eligible for the treatment. NICE initially did not recommend the therapy in a previous draft guidance. However, Roche offered an updated commercial arrangement as well as submitting new data which addressed the organisation’s concerns, showing the methods for estimating long-term survival. After this further review, the treatment has been deemed cost effective by NICE.
The evidence leading to the draft guidance was a clinical study that showed that cancer became undetectable in around 40% of 40 patients treated with the Polivy combo. The evidence also suggested that the combination may increase progression-free survival and overall survival compared with rituximab and bendamustine alone.
“We are pleased to be able to recommend this new treatment that could extend the life of patients with this type of lymphoma,” Meindert Boysen, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE. “I know how important this news will be for patients suffering with this condition; polatuzumab vedotin is considered to be a promising new treatment in an area where there are very few options. The combination treatment may offer valuable time for patients to spend with their loved ones.”
Conor Kavanagh
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