NICE approves Velcade
pharmafile | March 21, 2014 | News story | Sales and Marketing | Janssen, NHS, NICE, Velcade, myeloma
NICE has recommended Janssen’s proteasome inhibitor Velcade as an induction treatment for some patients with newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma.
The draft guidance says Velcade (bortezomib) should be used in combination with dexamethasone, or with dexamethasone and thalidomide, in previously-untreated patients who are eligible for high-dose chemotherapy with a bone marrow transplant.
“Clinical specialists told the committee that induction treatment with bortezomib would enable a greater number of patients to proceed to a bone transplant and consequently prevent the disease from progressing for longer,” explains NICE chief executive Sir Andrew Dillon.
Janssen will be particularly pleased since NICE asked for more data from the manufacturer about Velcade in November, saying then it was unable to recommend it on the NHS.
Myeloma is the second most common type of bone marrow cancer, and around 4,700 people in the UK are diagnosed with it each year: there is no cure but it can be managed to stop the progress of the condition and help relieve symptoms.
Standard treatment in the UK is a combination of cyclophosphamide, thalidomide and dexamethasone.
NICE felt that, while “there was uncertainty in the magnitude of overall survival gain associated with bortezomib, it was plausible that bortezomib’s impact on induction response could be associated with improved overall survival”.
Eric Low, Myeloma UK chief executive, called the watchdog’s decision ‘fantastic news’ for patients in England and Wales.
“Clinicians can now choose between at least three options enabling them to tailor treatment to best suit the clinical situation at hand and also to reflect patient preference,” he adds.
“This builds on the well-recognised utility of bortezomib in other stages of multiple myeloma,” suggests Janssen’s medical director Peter Barnes.
“Haematology is an area where there continues to be unmet medical need, and remains an important focus in our research efforts to bring new treatment options to patients,” he concluded.
Adam Hill
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