Posted by Michael Wonder on 18 Aug 2016
NICE recommends crizotinib, first pill for lung cancer
18 August 2016 - New draft guidance from NICE means hundreds of people will now have access to crizotinib, a twice-a-day pill for lung cancer.
Crizotinib is the first pill for people with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Although it doesn’t cure the disease, it shrinks or slows growth of tumours by targeting a specific protein only found in cancerous cells.
Previously people with this type of lung cancer could only be treated with intravenous chemotherapy every three weeks.
Taking a tablet means people avoid hospital which in turn frees up staff.
The pill usually costs £51,000 per patient for a course of treatment.
When crizotinib was initially reviewed, the company had offered a discount but the NICE committee concluded that it was not cost-effective at that price. In response to this decision the company offered a further discount.
