NHS makes SIRT first treatment available under new initiative

NHS England will cover the use of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) as the first treatment under the new Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE) initiative. CtE allows treatments or services that are not routinely funded by the NHS due to lack of sufficient evidence to be funded within defined parameters in a small number of participating centers and within an explicit evaluation program. CtE treatments will be funded for one to two years. Sirtex Medical Ltd. (ASX:SRX) said its SIR-Spheres microspheres will be offered to treat metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in chemo-refractory patients.

NHS England is accepting applications from centers interested in providing SIRT, with applications due Oct. 11. NHS expects about 220 patients a year will be treated with SIRT under CtE. ...