Idelalisib (trade name Zydelig) has been available since September 2014 for patients with follicular lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy. According to the findings, such an added benefit is not proven for any of the two therapeutic indications because the drug manufacturer presented no suitable data.

Idelalisib can be prescribed to patients with follicular lymphoma that has not responded to two prior lines of treatment and is therefore considered to be refractory.

For patients with CLL, idelalisib is an option if at least one prior treatment had been unsuccessful (refractory CLL) or if the disease has recurred after initially successful treatment (relapsed CLL). Idelalisib can also be used as first-line treatment if chemo-immunotherapy is unsuitable because of certain genetic characteristics (17p deletion or TP53 mutation).

For more details, go to: https://www.iqwig.de/en/press/press-releases/press-releases/added-benefit-of-idelalisib-is-not-proven.6516.html