Reversing an earlier recommendation, the agency that decides which treatments are made available in the publicly funded healthcare system in England and Wales, Wednesday backed the use of Pfizer Inc's (PFE) Sutent in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer in adults.

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence, or NICE, Wednesday said Sutent is cost-effective as a first-line treatment, after taking into account the added value society puts on treatments that extend life at the end of life, in addition to Pfizer's proposal to provide the first cycle of the drug free to the National Health Service.

The average daily cost of sunitinib is GBP74.74, with an average six-week cycle costing GBP3,139.

However, NICE still rejected Roche Holding AG's (ROG.VX) Avastin, Bayer AG's (BAY.XE) Nexavar and Wyeth's (WYE) Torisel as first-line treatments, as well as Sutent and Nexavar as second-line treatments.

Second-line treatment is given if the initial therapy, or first-line treatment, has failed.

NICE's recommendation is subject to appeal, the agency said.

Agency Web site: www.nice.org.uk

-By Elena Berton, Dow Jones Newswires; 44 20 7842 9267; elena.berton@dowjones.com

Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.