Preliminar?y NICE Guidance Recommends Inlyta for the Treatment of Advanced Kidney Cancer

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published preliminary guidance in an Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD), which recommends Inlyta (axitinib) as an option for treating adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma after failure of treatment with a first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor or a cytokine. This follows a previous negative recommendation, which was appealed by Pfizer, the Royal College of Physicians, James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer and Kidney Cancer UK.  

Axitinib is licensed for the “treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after failure of prior treatment with sunitinib or a cytokine”.

Ben Osborn, Head of Pfizer Oncology UK commented: “This review of the decision, following an appeal, is a positive step towards ensuring that for the first time, patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to have routine access to this advanced kidney cancer treatment. We look forward to engaging further with NICE in the process towards final guidance.

“However, while the news is positive for advanced kidney cancer patients, the UK still lags behind other European countries in the use of innovative cancer medicines. We hope that this marks a change in approach from NICE towards more pragmatic assessments of medicines, which will lead to NICE saying ‘yes’ more often so that patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can benefit from innovative cancer medicines.”