NICE recommends new combination for untreated advanced kidney cancer
pharmafile | February 4, 2022 | News story | Medical Communications |
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab.
The combination has been recommended for adult patients with previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) that is intermediate- or poor-risk. The NICE decision means the combination will continue to be a treatment option for patients diagnosed with intermediate- or poor-risk advanced RCC in England, and the decision is supported by five-year data from the Checkmate-214 trial, which showed improved overall survival (OS) and overall response rates (ORR) compared to sunitinib.
“I am very pleased that I will continue to be able to offer my patients nivolumab plus ipilimumab following their diagnosis of advanced renal cell carcinoma,” said Dr Richard Griffiths, Consultant in Medical Oncology at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust. “The combination has become an important option since being made available on the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2019. I welcome the NICE decision to continue to provide access to this treatment for people threatened by this aggressive cancer.”
Kidney cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 4% of all new cancer cases. RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer, accounting for more than 80% of cases. Nearly 1,700 people are diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer in England every year, of which only 12% will typically survive for five years or more.
“A diagnosis of kidney cancer is devastating for the patient and their loved ones, regardless of the stage in which it is diagnosed. However, for patients diagnosed at the latest stage, the chances of a full recovery are low,” said Nick Turkentine, Chief Executive of Kidney Cancer UK. “Survival rates for kidney cancer in the UK are amongst the lowest in Europe and we are delighted that patients will continue to be able to access this treatment in their fight against this potentially deadly disease.”
Ana Ovey
