UK NICE preliminary guidance negative on Roche's Tarceva for maintenance therapy

In preliminary guidance, the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) says that it has been unable to recommend the use of Swiss drug major Roche's Tarceva (erlotinib) as a maintenance treatment for people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have had first line treatment and their disease had remained stable.

Draft guidance has been issued for public consultation and the manufacturer and other consultees now have an opportunity to consider and respond to comments made by the independent Appraisal Committee, noted the agency, which recommends which treatments should be made available for use in the National Health Service.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, with around 38,000 people diagnosed every year. Maintenance treatment is a relatively new concept in lung cancer care. Its goals are to prolong the benefits of treatment and to maximise quality of life for as long as possible.