NICE Rejects Novartis’ Afinitor for Breast Cancer Treatment
In final guidance released today, the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises that the drug everolimus (Afinitor, manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals) should not be routinely provided as a treatment for postmenopausal women with HER2 negative, hormone-receptor-positive advanced breast cancer.
According to NICE Chief Executive Sir Andrew Dillon, "the independent appraisal committee, which reviewed everolimus, acknowledged it could delay the growth and spread of breast cancer by around four months, but there were uncertainties relating to how long it could extend a person's life compared with the drug exemestane alone, and therefore concluded that the drug is not a cost-effective option for the NHS."
Although NICE declined to recommend treating new patients with evrolimus, it indicated that women already undergoing treatment with the drug should continue with it until they and their doctor thinks it's appropriate to stop.