NICE approves Abraxane for pancreatic cancer
Life-extending pancreatic cancer medicine to be made available immediately on the NHS.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of nab-Paclitaxel in combination with gemcitabine, in eligible patients, for the first-line treatment of a type of metastatic pancreatic cancer, known as metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC).i This decision means that nab-Paclitaxel in combination with gemcitabine is now an option for mPDAC adult patients in England via the NHS when other combination chemotherapies are unsuitable and they would otherwise have gemcitabine monotherapy. The treatment will be available immediately for eligible patients in England via the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF).
Dr Stephen Falk, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust and Chair of the NCRI Pancreatic Cancer Subgroup commented: “Today’s recommendation is welcomed by the clinical community as well as families affected by metastatic pancreatic cancer - this is a disease that has seen few therapeutic advances in recent years and life expectancy remains extremely poor. It is very reassuring that NICE has decided to recommend nab-Paclitaxel in combination with gemcitabine for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer, and I also welcome the potential of extra survival this regimen may offer to the right patient compared to gemcitabine alone.”
The treatment of pancreatic cancer remains an area of unmet need, with around 8 in 10 cases diagnosed at a late stage in England and Scotland. Survival rates have shown minimal improvement over the past 40 years and the disease has one of the worst 5-year survival rates of common cancers in England and Wales. In the 1970s, 1% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survived their disease beyond 10 years, today it is still approximately 1%. Every day in the UK there are approximately 26 new diagnoses of pancreatic cancer, as well as an estimated 24 deaths due to this disease.
Ali Stunt, Founder and CEO of Pancreatic Cancer Action, added: “With an average life expectancy of just 2-6 months post diagnosis, potentially life-extending treatment options are invaluable for people with metastatic pancreatic cancer. NICE’s decision to expand available treatment options will be welcomed by those patients and their families. We are pleased that Celgene, the patient community and NICE have worked together to reach this positive outcome for patients.”
Remo Gujer, General Manager at Celgene UK & Ireland commented: “We are pleased to have been able to work with NICE throughout this process to help ensure that this treatment combination becomes accessible via the NHS to eligible patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer across England. This is an important milestone in our journey in the fight against pancreatic cancer and we will continue our research in this area of considerable unmet need”.
Related News
-
News Patients vs Pharma – who will the Inflation Reduction Act affect the most?
The Inflation Reduction Act brought in by the Biden administration in 2022 aims to give better and more equitable access to healthcare in the USA. However, pharma companies are now concerned about the other potential costs of such legislation. -
News CPHI Podcast Series: What does the changing US Pharma market mean for industry and patients alike?
In this week's episode of the CPHI Podcast Series Lucy Chard, Digital Editor for CPHI Online is joined by James Manser to discuss the political and market changes in the US pharma field. -
News CPHI Barcelona Annual Report illuminates industry trends for 2024
The CPHI Annual Survey comes into it’s 7th year to report on the predicted trends for 2024. Over 250 pharma executives were asked 35 questions, with their answers informing the industry landscape for the next year, spanning all major pharma marke... -
News Which 10 drugs are open to price negotiation with Medicare in the USA?
The Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services, under the Biden administration in the USA, has released a list of the 10 drugs that will be open to price negotiations as part of the new legislation under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). -
News EU Medical Devices Regulation causes unintended disappearances of medical devices for children, doctors state
Doctor groups and associations have appealed to the EU to correct the EU Medical Devices Regulation law that may cause unintended shortages of essential drug and medical devices for children and rare disease patients. -
News 10 Major Drug Approvals So Far in 2023
Last year, 37 novel drugs were approved by the FDA, this was a high number for such a category, and covered many fields including oncology, demonstrating how promising further research is, and how it is only continuing to build. To date, there are alre... -
News Detecting Alzheimer's disease with a simple lateral flow test
A novel rapid diagnostic test for early-stage Alzheimer's disease has been developed using a biomarker binder from Aptamer Group along with technology from Neuro-Bio, the neurodegenerative disease experts. -
News CPHI Podcast Series: outsourcing and manufacturing trends
Listen to the CPHI Podcast Series this June to hear Gil Roth of the PBOA speak with Digital Editor Lucy Chard about the biggest trends and topics to watch in pharma outsourcing and manufacturing at the minute.
Position your company at the heart of the global Pharma industry with a CPHI Online membership
-
Your products and solutions visible to thousands of visitors within the largest Pharma marketplace
-
Generate high-quality, engaged leads for your business, all year round
-
Promote your business as the industry’s thought-leader by hosting your reports, brochures and videos within your profile
-
Your company’s profile boosted at all participating CPHI events
-
An easy-to-use platform with a detailed dashboard showing your leads and performance