Vizimpro disadvantages outweigh survival advantage, says IQWiG

Since its European approval in April 2019, Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) Vizimpro (dacomitinib) has been available for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations.

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined in an early benefit assessment whether this drug offers an added benefit for patients in comparison with the appropriate comparator therapy.

The result: While overall survival is longer under dacomitinib treatment, side effects, including severe events, are more frequent. Also, the patients’ symptoms worsen earlier and more often than under the comparator treatment, and their health-related quality of life is worse. Overall, an added benefit in comparison with the appropriate comparator therapy is therefore not proven.