BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

NICE now backs Cell Therapeutics' Pixuvri for some

January 1, 2014 12:17 AM UTC

The U.K.'s NICE issued a Pixuvri pixantrone from Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:CTIC; Milan:CTIC) in patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's B cell lymphoma who have previously been treated with rituximab and who are receiving third- or fourth-line treatment. The recommendation -- which is contingent on Cell Therapeutics providing Pixuvri at an undisclosed discount under a patient access scheme -- reverses an April preliminary appraisal in which NICE recommended against Pixuvri for all lymphoma patients. Final guidance is expected in February (see BioCentury Extra, April 10).

In May 2012, the European Commission granted conditional approval to Pixuvri for multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's B cell lymphoma. The product is an aza-anthracenedione DNA intercalating agent that inhibits topoisomerase II (TOP2). Cell Therapeutics was off a penny to $1.91 on Tuesday. ...