NICE issues negative draft decision for Novartis' Afinitor

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today (March 21) issued an Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD) recommending that Swiss drug major Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) advanced breast cancer treatment Afinitor (everolimus) should not be available to patients on the National Health Service.

Everolimus is the sixth treatment that NICE has turned down for patients with advanced breast cancer since 2011, the company noted, adding that the drug is the first new licensed therapeutic approach in 15 years offering substantial impact on hormone responsive advanced breast cancer which affects over 30,000 women in the UK.

Noting that the draft guidance is now open for consultation, Sir Andrew Dillon, the NICE’s chief executive, said: “For a treatment to be recommended by NICE, it must be shown to be cost-effective. That means it must work as well as, or better than, current NHS treatment, taking into account any associated side effects and the cost that the NHS is being asked to pay. While the independent Appraisal Committee acknowledged that everolimus may offer a step change in treatment by restoring sensitivity of the tumor to hormone therapy, the evidence highlighted uncertainty relating to how much the treatment extends overall survival. Using the most appropriate estimates, the committee concluded that everolimus is not a cost-effective treatment option for the NHS.”