Takeda sales and marketing update

The U.K.’s NICE issued preliminary draft guidance recommending against the use of Takeda’s Adcetris brentuximab vedotin to treat CD30-positive Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The agency said evidence supporting Adcetris’ clinical effectiveness and mortality benefit is “immature and limited.” The document recommends against Adcetris’ use for patients with relapsed or refractory disease following autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option. For these indications, Adcetris was previously listed under the U.K.’s older Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), which was replaced last month with a new operating model. NICE also recommended against Adcetris for adults at increased risk of relapse or progression following ASCT, an indication for which the European Commission approved the drug last month.

NICE said Takeda estimated the therapy costing between L69,335 ($90,489) and L86,470 ($112,852) per patient course of treatment. For Adcetris’ two indications under the older CDF, NICE said the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained ranged from L56,342 ($73,532) to L590,407 ($770,540). Until final guidance is issued, Adcetris will remain available to patients under the older CDF. NICE said Takeda did not seek Adcetris’ inclusion in the new CDF, citing a small patient population for the therapy. ...