UK's NICE negative on Bristol-Myers skin cancer drug Yervoy

UK drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued new draft guidance which recommends against the use of US drug major Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (NYSE: BMY) Yervoy (ipilimumab) for advanced malignant melanoma in people who have received prior chemotherapy. The draft guidance has been issued for consultation; it has not been issued to the National Health Service.

Yervoy, the first new drug for the pre-treated unresectable or metastatic Melanoma in more than two decades, was approved for marketing in Europe earlier this year, as well as in the USA and Australia (The Pharma Letters July 15 and March 28)

Commenting on the draft recommendations Sir Andrew Dillon, Chief Executive of the NICE, said: “We need to be sure that new treatments provide sufficient benefits to patients to justify the significant cost the NHS is being asked to pay.