Janssen disappointed by NICE decision on Imbruvica

2 March 2016

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) subsidiary Janssen says it is extremely disappointed with the UK’s drugs cost watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) initial response regarding its Imbruvica (ibrutinib) which was released this morning.

The Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD) published today states that the NICE does not intend to recommend Imbruvica for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who are not suitable for chemo-immunotherapy.

In contrast to recommendations in other countries

This draft recommendation from NICE for ibrutinib sits in stark contrast to the recommendations of 48 countries globally which have opted to fund or reimburse the medicine including 27 European countries, most recently in Greece, Janssen noted. In England, ibrutinib is currently available on the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) for use in adult patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and is the most requested drug for CLL on the fund3 - demonstrating the huge clinical demand.

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