UK's NICE says Roche's Avastin not cost effective for advanced ovarian cancer

The UK drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published draft guidance (18 December 18) on the use of Swiss drug major Roche’s blockbuster cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab), saying it does not recommend the drug when used with paclitaxel and carboplatin for people with advanced disease, as a cost-effective treatment for the National health Service.

This draft guidance has now been issued for consultation: NICE has not yet published final guidance to the NHS. The NICE’s independent Advisory Committee recognized that UK clinical practice is to prescribe bevacizumab at a dosage below that for which it is currently licensed but acknowledged that agency is unable to make recommendations on a treatment outside of its marketing authorisation.

NICE chief executive Sir Andrew Dillon said: “Although it was acknowledged that bevacizumab, when used in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin, did appear to provide some benefit to some patients in terms of delaying the spread of their cancer, it was unclear whether this translated into an overall survival benefit. There was no evidence to show that the clinical benefit of the treatment justifies its cost, when compared to existing treatments – an important factor to consider, especially as the NHS has finite resources.”