NICE updates Xtandi recommendation

The U.K.'s NICE issued draft guidance that updates its recommendation for prostate cancer drug Xtandi enzalutamide from Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo:4503). NICE now recommends the drug for hormone-relapsed, metastatic prostate cancer patients that progressed on or after one or more docetaxel-containing regimens but only for patients who have not been treated with Zytiga abiraterone from Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ). In October, NICE backed Xtandi for men whose disease had progressed on or after only one docetaxel-containing regimen, but that recommendation did not include the Zytiga restriction. The recommendation is still contingent on Astellas providing Xtandi at an undisclosed discount under a patient access scheme. Comments are due Feb. 18 (see BioCentury Extra, Oct. 17, 2013). ...