Posted by Michael Wonder on 13 Oct 2017
Hundreds of patients to have access to head and neck cancer drug after new deal, says NICE
13 October 2017 - Nivolumab is recommended for use within the Cancer Drugs Fund for some patients with head and neck cancer.
The immunotherapy drug, nivolumab, also known as Opdivo made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, will be available for patients with head and neck cancer who have not responded to chemotherapy within 6 months, and the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Nivolumab works by binding to certain proteins in cells. This then stimulates the body’s immune system to attack cancerous cells and destroy them.
When NICE first reviewed nivolumab, it was found that the evidence for its effectiveness in treating head and neck cancer was uncertain. NICE invited Bristol-Myers Squibb to submit a Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) proposal to show how they would strengthen the evidence for nivolumab.
Patients can now have access to the drug via the NHS whilst it is within the CDF. During this time, further data will be collected from how well patients do who access the drug through the CDF and from a clinical trial to help address uncertainties in the evidence.
