UK NICE issues final guidance for Tasigna, Glivec, Sprycel, Victrelis and Incivo

In final guidance issued this morning, UK drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence ( NICE) has recommended National Health Service use of Tasigna (nilotinib) and Glivec (imatinib), both made by Swiss drug major Novartis (NOVN: VX), for the first line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), confirming draft guidance issued last month (The Pharma Letter March 22).

However, also confirming earlier opinions, the agency said in its final guidance that Sprycel (dasatinib), from US major Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), is not recommended for use under the National Health Service.

In response to the guidance, Carole Longson, Director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at the NICE said: “The recommendations reaffirm the use of imatinib as an effective treatment for the majority of patients and a cost effective use of NHS resources, and we are also very pleased to be able to add a further treatment option for these patients by recommending nilotinib. Although no trials directly comparing dasatinib and nilotinib were available, the committee concluded from indirect comparisons that dasatinib and nilotinib could be considered equally as effective in treating CML. However, the manufacturer of nilotinib has already agreed with the Department of Health to provide the drug to the NHS at a discounted price. This reduction in cost enabled the independent Committee to approve nilotinib for use on the NHS.”