NICE says Bayer's CDF liver cancer drug is not cost-effective

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has said in draft guidance published today that German pharma major Bayer’s (BAYN: DE) liver cancer drug Nexavar (sorafenib) – which is currently available on the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) – is not value for money.

NICE, the cost-effectiveness watchdog for England and Wales, originally published guidance in 2010 which said that sorafenib was not cost effective. It was then made available through the CDF. NICE is reconsidering sorafenib as part of its program to appraise drugs that are currently available on the CDF. As part of the reappraisal, Bayer presented further evidence which was not included in their original submission. The price of sorafenib is also lower than at the time of the original appraisal.

The committee reviewed the resubmission for sorafenib and concluded that there was still considerable uncertainty about the overall survival benefit and it was unclear how long patients would take the medicine.Sorafenib was not considered cost-effective as these uncertainties were not compensated by the new price.