NICE reverses decision on Alimta
pharmafile | July 11, 2007 | News story | Sales and Marketing |Â Â Â
Patients with the deadly type of lung cancer called mesothelioma will now be able to receive Lilly's Alimta after NICE reversed an earlier decision on the product.
Alimta is the only licensed treatment available for the condition, but the high cost and limited benefits for terminally ill patients had persuaded NICE not to recommend its use.
But now, two years after NICE began its appraisal of the drug, following a formal appeal by patient groups and the manufacturer, patients will gain access to the treatment.
Reviewing the evidence once again, NICE found three factors which helped make Alimta more cost-effective.
First, the number of treatment cycles were likely to be no more than four, as opposed to the original calculation of six. Secondly, the potential availability of a 100 mg dose vial (as opposed to the bigger and more expensive 500 mg vial) and, finally, evidence of greater quality-of-life benefits all helped to bring about the reversal of the original NICE decision.
Under the revised guidance, Alimta is recommended for patients (in combination with cisplatin) who are able to carry out day-to-day tasks, but whose cancer is advanced and where surgery is inappropriate.
Almost 4,000 people a year develop mesothelioma in the UK, with almost all cases being caused by exposure to asbestos in the past.
"At last, NICE has stood up for these neglected patients and acknowledged that we have a duty of care to these people that cannot be defined by cost-effectiveness alone. We are thrilled they will get the support and treatment they deserve," said Tony Whitston, chairman of The Asbestos Support Groups' Forum.
Andrew Hotchkiss, General Manager of Lilly UK, commented: "This is good news for malignant pleural mesothelioma patients and their families in the UK and shows that NICE has recognised the benefits Alimta can offer in terms of survival and quality of life."
