NICE Give The Go Ahead for Sutent
4 February 2009
Watch NICE's Andrew Dillon explains the decision on BBC Breakfast . To view CLICK HERE
Below is the Release from NICE:
PRESS RELEASE
NICE draft recommendation on the use of drugs for renal cancer
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising the use of bevacizumab, sorafenib, sunitinib and temsirolimus for the treatment of advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Following the independent advisory Committee meeting on 14 January 2009 NICE has decided to split this appraisal in two in order to get guidance out to the NHS as quickly as possible.
In the first appraisal sunitinib is recommended as a first-line treatment option in advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma for patients who are suitable for immunotherapy with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
In the second appraisal bevacizumab, sorafenib and temsirolimus are not recommended as first-line treatment options for advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma. In addition, the two drugs also licensed for second-line treatment of advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma, sorafenib and sunitinib, are not recommended for this indication.
Guidance on bevacizumab, sorafenib and temsirolimus for first-line treatment and sorafenib and sunitinib for the second-line treatment of renal cancer is available for public consultation on the NICE website until 4 March 2009. Comments received during this consultation will be reviewed by the independent appraisal Committee at their meeting on 11 March 2009.
Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive said: “Having decided that one of these treatments should be recommended for use in the NHS, we felt that it was in the interests of patients to get that advice out as quickly as possible. Although this final recommendation is subject to appeal we very much hope it will form the basis of our guidance to the NHS. The other 3 drugs we are looking at will be the subject of further consultation.”
