New Option For Advanced Melanoma Patients
by Pharmacy Life - Published on 12 October 2015
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended
Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for treating advanced skin cancer in final draft guidance.
Manufactured by
Merck, Sharp & Dohme, pembrolizumab has a marketing authorisation in the UK as monotherapy ‘for the treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma in adults’, and is recommended as an option in adults:
• for treating advanced melanoma that
has not been previously treated with ipilimumab, and
• when the company provides pembrolizumab with the discount agreed in the patient access scheme.
The independent Appraisal Committee decided that
an initial appraisal consultation document (ACD) was not needed for this appraisal, so the recommendations could go straight to a final appraisal determination (FAD). This happens when the Committee recommends a treatment in line with its licensed indication, or as in this case, in line with the part of the licensed indication that was the subject of the appraisal.
‘The incidence of malignant melanoma has increased fivefold since the mid-1970s in the UK, with around 37 new cases diagnosed every day,’ said
Professor Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive at NICE. ‘We are, therefore, pleased to be able to recommend pembrolizumab as an option for some people with the disease that has not been previously treated with ipilimumab, in final draft guidance. I am sure this will be welcome news to patients and healthcare professionals alike.’
The draft guidance is now with consultees, who have the opportunity to appeal against it. Until NICE issues final guidance, NHS bodies should make decisions locally on the funding of specific treatments.
Final guidance is expected to be published in November 2015.