NICE final draft guidance rejects Celgene's Vidaza

23 June 2016

England’s medicines cost-effectiveness watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has today published final draft guidance that does not recommend US biotech firm Celgene’s (Nasdaq: CELG) Vidaza (azacitidine) to treat some people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The NICE appraisal committee concluded that there was a high degree of uncertainty about azacitidine’s clinical effectiveness relative to current treatments and it could not be considered a cost-effective use of National Health Service resources.

The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for azacitidine was estimated to be around £240,000 ($352,080) per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) which meant it did not meet the criteria to be considered for use in the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF). The company also stated that it did not intend to submit a case for including azacitidine in the CDF.

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