Olaratumab recommended for NHS use in England

Lartruvo (olaratumab), in combination with doxorubicin, has been recommended by the medicines cost-effectiveness watchdog for England and Wales for use as an option for advanced soft tissue sarcoma in adults who have not had any previous systemic chemotherapy for advanced soft tissue sarcoma and cannot have curative treatment with surgery or their disease does not respond to radiotherapy.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) on the use of olaratumab on June 9, one month earlier than expected, and olaratumab is one of the first medicines to be made available within the new Cancer Drugs Fund, Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) announced today. Lilly said it worked with the NICE and NHS England to enable faster patient access to this innovative medicine via a managed access agreement.

After decades of marginal improvement in five-year relative survival, olaratumab plus doxorubicin addresses a long-standing unmet need; increasing overall survival with a generally manageable tolerability profile. It potentially represents a step change in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma, said Lilly.