NICE backs Firmagon for hormone-dependent prostate cancer and spinal metastases

UK medicines cost-effectiveness watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended privately-held Switzerland-headquartered drugmaker Ferring Pharmaceuticals’ Firmagon (degarelix) for a group of men with advanced hormone-dependent prostate cancer – those with spinal metastases.

This announcement comes after a review process lasting over three years, and follows NICE’s most recent draft Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD) published in June 2015, which recommended against the use of Firmagon within its marketing authorization for treating advanced hormone-dependent prostate cancer.

The NICE appraisal committee noted that degarelix is currently available at a discount to the National Health Service through existing mechanisms (a national branded framework agreement with the Commercial Medicines Unit for secondary care, and a commercial scheme available to clinical commissioning groups for primary care). When this discount was applied in the analysis, the incremental cost effectiveness ratios for degarelix compared with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists fell within the range usually considered to be a cost effective use of NHS resources.