NICE recommends Pfizer's Inlyta but not Dendreon's Provenge

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended Inlyta (axitinib), marketed by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) as a second-line treatment for kidney cancer.

Separately, the body has not recommended sipuleucel-T, marketed as Provenge, marketed by Seattle-based biotech company Dendreon, to treat prostate cancer. Canada's Valeant Pharmaceutical International (TSX: VRX) last week acquired rights to the drug with the acquisition of Dendreon in a banckrupcty sale.

The reasoning behind this decision was related to pricing, and the available evidence showed the price that the National Health Service is being asked to pay for the therapy is too high for the benefit it may provide. For the subgroup of patients who had not received prior chemotherapy the cost per Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) was at least £512,000 ($790,000; company’s analyses) or at least £244,000 (Evidence Review Group’s analyses) for sipuleucel-T compared with abiraterone. When abiraterone was not included in the evidence review group’s analysis, the cost per QALY for sipuleucel-T compared with best supportive care was £112,000.