NICE now recommends Bayer's Xofigo

The U.K.'s NICE issued Xofigo radium-223 dichloride from Bayer AG (Xetra:BAYN) to treat adults with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastases who have received treatment with docetaxel. The committee recommended the drug only when Bayer provides it at an undisclosed discount under a proposed patient access scheme.

NICE previously recommended against Xofigo to treat patients with CRPC, symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastases -- its approved indication in the EU. In a March 2014 preliminary appraisal, the committee said Bayer did not provide data comparing Xofigo to the appropriate treatments, including docetaxel as first-line treatment for CRPC and Zytiga abiraterone from Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) as second-line treatment (see BioCentury Extra, March 24, 2014). ...