NICE issues negative draft guidance on Besponsa

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) today published draft guidance which does not recommend inotuzumab ozogamicin for the treatment of adults in England and Wales with relapsed or refractory CD22-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

US pharma giant Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) Besponsa (inotuzumab ozogamicin) is being looked at for treating adults with relapsed or refractory CD22-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Evidence from clinical trial data showed no survival benefit from inotuzumab ozogamicin compared to current treatment, said the NICE, the medicines cost-effectiveness watchdog for England and Wales. However, it noted, more people who were treated with inotuzumab ozogamicin were able to subsequently have a stem cell transplant and go into remission than those on standard care.

Although the committee concluded that inotuzumab ozogamicin is considered to be an extending treatment at the end-of-life, the survival benefits were highly uncertain meaning the committee could not recommend the drug as a cost effective use of National Health Service (NHS) resources.