NICE new authorisation for NSCLC Rx.24 Oct 2024 10:27
Just waiting for an Avacta drug to get this:
“ Two new treatments for ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer have been recommended in final draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Around 90% of all lung cancers are non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with 2% to 6% of patients having an alteration in the ALK gene.
The first treatment, alectinib, sold as Alecensa and made by Roche, is recommended for cancers that are stage 1B to 3A, after tumour-removal surgery.1
Alectinib is taken as a twice-a-day tablet. It is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets specific cancer cells with rearrangements in the ALK gene.
NICE believes this could benefit around 100 people in England who would otherwise receive chemotherapy or active monitoring.
The second treatment to be recommended is the intravenous drug pembrolizumab, sold as Keytruda and made by Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD). It is a monoclonal antibody recommended alongside chemotherapy before tumour-removal surgery, then alone after surgery for treating resectable non-small-cell lung cancer.2
Usual treatment for adult patients is the monoclonal antibody nivolumab with chemotherapy, then surgery.
Pembrolizumab has been shown to reduce the risk of relapse and increase survival compared with placebo. NICE said it could benefit just over 5,000 people in England.”