NICE issues Xeloda, MabThera, Iressa guidance

The U.K.'s NICE issued guidance for three cancer drugs on Wednesday, including two from Roche (SIX:ROG; OTCQX:RHHBY) and one from AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NYSE:AZN). AstraZeneca's Iressa gefitinib is recommended for first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) only in patients with an EGFR mutation and then only if the pharma provides the drug at a fixed price under a patient access scheme. The guidance is in line with a May final appraisal determination (FAD).

Roche's MabThera rituximab is recommended in combination with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide to treat relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) except in patients who have not previously responded to fludarabine or have relapsed within six months of treatment, or have previously been treated with MabThera. The guidance is in line with a March FAD, but also recommends the combination in patients who previously received MabThera in a clinical trial. ...