UK NICE recommends Giotrif and Velcade, but says 'no' to added use of Alimta

People in England and Wales with lung cancer whose tumors test positive for a mutation will now have access to a third targeted treatment, says the UK’s drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which has given the go ahead for German family-owned drug major Boehringer Ingelheim’s Giotrif (afatinib) to be paid for by the National Health Service (NHS).

Afatinib is a targeted treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) known as an EGFR-TK inhibitor. It works by blocking the signal pathways, helping to slow the growth and spread of tumors. NSCLC is now tested for the EGFR-TK mutation at diagnosis before people receive their first therapy to ensure that the most appropriate treatment is selected.

People who have NSCLC which is locally advanced or has spread to other parts of the body, and whose tumors test positive for the EGFR-TK mutation, will now be able to receive afatinib on the NHS.

Commenting on the afatinib guidance this morning, Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, said: “This is the third targeted treatment that NICE has recommended for people with this form of lung cancer. NICE was able to publish this final guidance quickly – in just over three months since the committee first met to discuss the treatment. As afatinib was recommended in line with its licensed indication, our process allows us to exclude the consultation stage of the appraisal to speed up access.”

Lilly’s Alimta not recommended due to price

Also today, the NICE has published final guidance for the NHS on US pharma major Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) Alimta (pemetrexed) for the maintenance treatment of NSCLC. The guidance does not recommend pemetrexed maintenance therapy for people who have received induction therapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin if their non-small-cell lung cancer is locally advanced or has spread to other parts of the body.

“NICE already recommends pemetrexed for maintenance treatment following a different first treatment. However, although pemetrexed is effective when given following induction treatment with pemetrexed with cisplatin, it did not offer sufficient benefit to justify the costs that Eli Lilly is asking the NHS to pay. It is disappointing not to be able to recommend pemetrexed, but we can only recommend treatments which are both clinically and cost effective,” commented Sir Andrew.

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