Posted by Michael Wonder on 02 Jul 2016
Necitumumab in NSCLC: small additional benefit for patients with metastases
1 July 2016 - Survival advantage, but also disadvantages.
The monoclonal antibody necitumumab (Portrazza) was approved in February 2016 for use in combination with gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic, epidermal growth receptor expressing, non-small-cell lung cancer who are yet to be treated with chemotherapy.
In an early benefit assessment, the IQWiG has investigated the pros and cons of the combination. For patients with metastatic disease, there is an indication of a low added value versus the appropriate comparator therapy, Whether the observed effects are transferable for patients without metastases is unclear.
