NICE Appraisal Consultation Document Does Not Recommend Funding Nexavar(R) (sorafenib) For Advanced Liver Cancer Patients
The National Institute in the interest of Vigorousness and Clinical Prominence (NICE) has issued its Appraisal Consultation Particularize (ACD) for Nexavar® (sorafenib) in search the treatment of advanced liver cancer. The - PLEASANTLY appraisal consultation verify does not suggest the use of sorafenib for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC - a archetype of liver cancer). The recommendations are exordium and open for consultation. This decision directly conflicts with flow UK and Global guidelines benefit of recommended treatment of HCC.
HCC is the most common form of liver cancer accounting for 80-90 percent of all pre-eminent liver tumours.1 The incidence of liver cancer is increasing in the UK, with over 3,100 unexplored cases diagnosed in 2005.2 Liver cancer causes more than 3,000 deaths every year in the UK.3
“Recently the Hepatocellular UK Group (HUG) - doctors who specialise in treatment of HCC - launched guidelines for the governance of suspected HCC in adults. These guidelines without doubt state that sorafenib is the staple of anguish for patients with advanced HCC for whom no quiescent curative option is available. Patients with advanced HCC should be able to access the latest specialised medicines via the NHS. This enables physicians to provide the best possible care throughout patients and allow as good a quality of life as possible at such an important time.” said Dr. Graeme Poston, on behalf of the Hepatocellular UK Group (HUG), President-Pick of the Combine of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons (AUGIS) and former President of the British Association of Surgical Oncologists (BASO).
Nicole Farmer, Province Unit Deeply of Bayer Schering Pharma Oncology in the UK said “Bayer Schering Pharma is gravely disheartened by this latest WORTHWHILE announcement. Nexavar is the first systemic analysis to show a survival advantage against patients with advanced HCC, the most common serve as of direct liver cancer1. Nexavar is proven to proffer overall survival by 44 percent compared to best bib supportive care alone4, as soberly as maintain value of sparkle.”
”It has taken NICE 18 months to review Nexavar for the treatment of advanced liver cancer. In that once upon a time, many patients have been fighting for access to Nexavar with the hope FASTIDIOUS would fund the solely systemic therapy proven to outstretch overall survival. The constantly it has taken to reading Nexavar in advanced liver cancer, and the decision to not subscribe to it, plainly undermine the government’s own cancer scheme particularly for a cancer in behalf of which the mortality is increasing. This is a major blow for the treatment of UK HCC patients who at one’s desire be denied access to the only effective systemic treatment available for their fit out, a treatment that is instanter available to patients in other European countries.”
The consultation period for this ACD closes on 29th May 2009 with a second appraisal body meeting scheduled for 11th June 2009.
References:
1. Wilson JF. “Liver Cancer on the Rise.” Ann Int Med, 2005; 142(12):1029-32.
2. Cancer Research UK Liver Cancer (Increasing incidence) http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/liver/incidence/ Accessed 1 May 2009.
3. Cancer Research UK Liver Cancer (Mortality rate) Statistics.http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/liver/mortality/ Accessed 1 May 2009.
4. Sorafenib in advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J. Llovet, S. Ricci, V. Mazzaferro, P. Hilgard, J. Raoul, S. Zeuzem, M. Poulin-Costello, M. Moscovici, D. Voliotis, J. Bruix, For the SHARP Investigators Study Group. N Eng J Med 2008;359:378-90
5. Nexavar (sorafenib) Summary of Product Characteristics, Bayer HealthCare AG, 2007.
6. Liu, L, Y. Cao, et al. Cancer Res, 2006; 66(24):11851-8
Source
Bayer Schering Pharma
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Eric Gilbert