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NICE approves 75% of cancer drugs

25 November 2009 Breaking News

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has now appraised 79 cancer drugs, 59 (75%) of which have been approved for use in the NHS.

Final guidance published today recommends topotecan as a treament for relapsed lung cancer, under the arrangements introduced by NICE this year for appraising life-extending, end-of-life treatments, which effectively lower the criteria for such drugs.

However, the organisation has rejected a drug for advanced colorectal cancer. In draft guidance issued yesterday, NICE ruled that the use of bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer "does not represent a cost-effective use of NHS resources" despite the manufacturer's proposal to offer a patient access scheme to help fund the cost.

Dr Carole Longson, health technology evaluation centre director at NICE, said there were "uncertainties" in the economic analysis provided by the manufacturer Roche and that the patient access scheme was "complex", with administration costs likely to be higher than indicated. The guidance produced by NICE also questions the validity of the evidence for clinical effectiveness put forward by Roche, which suggested that the drug could extend life by 2.3 months.

Chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer Hilary Whittaker said: "This is extremely disappointing and we urge NICE to take this opportunity to give patients with advanced bowel cancer in England and Wales access to this treatment, which would be a crucial step forward in extending life expectancy and providing improved quality of life.

"Avastin is available as a matter of course throughout Europe, the USA, Australia and Canada, but yet again in the UK, patients and their advocates have to fight simply to be on an equal footing with their counterparts."

NICE's Dr Longson said the draft guidance on Avastin was now out for consultation and urged Roche to "consider carefully the views of the appraisal committee and respond to their concerns and uncertainties for the benefit of bowel cancer patients."

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