Novartis reacts with disappointment at NICE decision not to recommend Afinitor

18 August 2016

Removing cancer drug Afinitor (everolimus) from the UK’s revamped Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) will prevent women with advanced breast cancer from accessing medicine that could significantly slow the progression of their disease, Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) has said.

The company was reacting to a provisional decision by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) not to recommend everolimus in combination with exemestane for the treatment of HER2-negative, hormone-receptor-positive advanced breast cancer in its Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD), on the grounds it is not cost-effective.

Barak Patchi, general manager of Novartis Oncology UK and Ireland, said: “We are disappointed by these preliminary recommendations from NICE.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK