UK's NICE Backs Pfizer's Sutent For Advanced Kidney Cancer
February 03 2009 - 7:31PM
Dow Jones News
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
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