Bayer sales and marketing update

The U.K.’s NICE released draft guidance recommending against the use of Nexavar sorafenib from Bayer to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in adults when surgical or locoregional therapies have failed or are not suitable because it is not “cost effective.” NICE said there was still “considerable uncertainty” about Nexavar’s overall survival benefit and treatment duration, despite new data Bayer had submitted. The committee said that even with an undisclosed discount under a patient access scheme that further reduced Nexavar’s price, it did not consider the drug cost-effective.

NICE said the most plausible incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was L51,900 ($67,096.32) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. The therapy is an inhibitor of CRAF (RAF1) and multiple receptor tyrosine kinases. The price for a 112 pack of 200 mg tablets is L2,980.47 ($3,884.80) excluding VAT. The recommended dose is 400 mg twice daily. ...