NICE backs Iressa for NSCLC
The U.K.'s NICE issued a final appraisal determination for Iressa gefitinib from AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NYSE:AZN) to treat 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 the patient access scheme, AstraZeneca will provide Iressa at the fixed cost of L12,200 ($17,669) per patient regardless of the treatment duration and will not charge National Health Service (NHS) until it supplies the third monthly pack of Iressa. Any patients requiring less than three months of treatment would be free to NHS.
In January, NICE issued a preliminary appraisal requesting more information on the clinical and cost effectiveness of Iressa, including additional analyses of the Phase III IPASS trial (See BioCentury Extra, Friday, Jan. 29, 2010). ...