1 March 2018 - Patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a rare and aggressive type of skin cancer will get routine access to a new treatment option on the NHS after cost regulators waved through Merck and Pfizer's Bavencio.

NICE has published draft guidelines endorsing the drug as option for patients with Merkel cell carcinoma that has spread to other parts of the body who have previously been treated with chemotherapy.

NICE is also recommending Bavencio (avelumab) for use on the Cancer Drugs Fund in England as a first-line treatment for the disease, after concluding that it has the potential to be cost effective in this setting at the confidential discounted price agreed in the patient access scheme, but that more evidence is needed to address the clinical uncertainties.

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