22 April 2016 - NICE has issued final guidance recommending cabazitaxel (Jevtana, Sanofi) for some prostate cancer patients. This is a change from the appraisal committee’s draft guidance.

The committee previously did not recommend cabazitaxel because of concerns about its cost effectiveness compared with standard treatments (such as abiraterone acetate, enzalutamide or radium 223 dichloride).

After the medicine was turned down, Sanofi increased the discount and confirmed that it can supply cabazitaxel in intravenous bags instead of vials, reducing waste. Therefore, they have concluded that cabazitaxel is a cost effective treatment option.

Between 2013 and 2015, over 550 patients accessed cabazitaxel (as a second-line treatment after docetaxel chemotherapy) through the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF). Now, with this positive recommendation from NICE, cabazitaxel will move out of the CDF and into routine use. The number of patients receiving cabazitaxel is not anticipated to change as a result of this move.

For more details, go to: https://www.nice.org.uk/news/press-and-media/nice-recommends-cabazitaxel-for-prostate-cancer