WIREDGOV

New guidance published today (24 February) by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will give a specific group of cancer patients access to a new drug on the NHS which could help extend their lives. The guidance recommends trabectedin (Yondelis) for the treatment of certain patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma. The NHS will now have three months to being implementing this new guidance.

This recommendation was made possible after the drug manufacturer, PharmaMar, agreed to meet the costs of the drug for any treatment needed beyond the fifth cycle of treatment. The independent appraisal committee also applied NICE’s criteria for evaluating life-extending, end of life treatments.

Dr Carole Longson, Health Technology Evaluation Centre Director at NICE said: “It’s thought between 500 and 600 people live with advanced soft tissue sarcoma in England and Wales. We are pleased to be able to recommend trabectedin for NHS use as it will provide a treatment option for some patients.”

In the published guidance, NICE recommends the use of trabectedin as a treatment for people with advanced soft tissue sarcoma if:

• Treatment with anthracyclines and ifosfamide has failed

Or

• They are intolerant of or have contraindications for treatment with anthracyclines and ifosfamide

And

• The acquisition cost of trabectedin for treatment needed after the fifth cycle is met by the manufacturer