Sunday, February 9, 2025

Cancer Treatment Recommendations Updated by Medicinrådet: New Approvals and Reevaluations Announced

Similar articles

Key Takeaways

  • Medicinrådet has approved five new treatment recommendations, including enfortumab vedotin for bladder cancer, citing its potential to extend patient survival despite higher costs.
  • Pegcetacoplan has been recommended for PNH, and dostarlimab for advanced endometrial cancer, with Medicinrådet balancing the benefits and costs of these treatments, particularly when patients can self-administer the medication.
  • Medicinrådet declined to recommend pembrolizumab for lung cancer and glofitamab for lymphoma due to insufficient evidence of benefit and concerns over high costs and severe side effects.

The Danish Medicines Council (Medicinrådet) approved five new treatment recommendations and two drug recommendations, marking a significant step in the ongoing efforts to refine cancer treatment options in Denmark. Among these is a critical reevaluation of a drug for bladder cancer, which has now been recommended by the Council after careful consideration.

Subscribe Weekly Market Access News

* indicates required

For bladder cancer, Medicinrådet has now recommended the use of enfortumab vedotin for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have previously undergone platinum-based chemotherapy and PD-1/L1 inhibitor treatment. This recommendation is specifically for patients in good general health (performance status 0 and 1). The Council concluded that enfortumab vedotin could potentially extend patient survival compared to the current standard treatment with vinflunine, without introducing more severe side effects. Despite higher costs associated with enfortumab vedotin, Medicinrådet believes the expense is justified given the anticipated benefits.

Medicinrådet Recommends Pegcetacoplan for PNH and Dostarlimab for Advanced Endometrial Cancer, Balancing Costs and Benefits

In the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), Medicinrådet has recommended pegcetacoplan for adult patients with anemia who have not previously received complement inhibitor therapy. Initial data suggests that pegcetacoplan may improve anemia and reduce the need for blood transfusions compared to C5 inhibitors, although the evidence remains uncertain. Both treatments are expensive, but pegcetacoplan is associated with lower overall costs, particularly when patients can self-administer the drug at home. The Council advises using the drug that offers the lowest total cost.

For endometrial cancer, specifically of the dMMR/MSI-H type, Medicinrådet has recommended dostarlimab in combination with chemotherapy for patients with advanced or recurrent disease who are in good general health and candidates for systemic treatment. Dostarlimab, when used with chemotherapy, is believed to extend patient survival compared to the current standard of platinum-based chemotherapy, although the extent of this benefit remains uncertain due to the short follow-up period in studies. The treatment is linked to more side effects, some of which can be life-threatening or long-lasting. Despite the higher costs, Medicinrådet considers the expenses reasonable given the potential benefits and recommends that dostarlimab be administered for a maximum of two years from the first dose.

Cancer

Medicinrådet Rejects Pembrolizumab and Glofitamab for Cancer Treatment Due to Uncertain Benefits and High Costs

In contrast, Medicinrådet has decided not to recommend pembrolizumab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant treatment, followed by pembrolizumab monotherapy as adjuvant therapy for adults with resectable non-small cell lung cancer at high risk of recurrence. The Council determined that there is insufficient evidence that this treatment improves survival or delays disease recurrence compared to current treatments. Additionally, the treatment is more expensive and associated with more severe and long-lasting side effects than existing options.

For diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Medicinrådet has opted not to recommend glofitamab as monotherapy for adult cancer patients with refractory/relapsed DLBCL after two or more systemic treatments. Due to significant uncertainty in the data, the Council found no clear evidence that glofitamab improves survival compared to the current standard treatment with chemotherapy and rituximab. Furthermore, the cost of glofitamab is higher than the current treatment, and the overall expenses are deemed too high given the uncertainty surrounding the drug’s effectiveness.

These decisions reflect Medicinrådet’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that treatments recommended for use in Denmark are both effective and economically sustainable, balancing patient benefits with healthcare system costs.

 

You can follow our news on our Telegram, LinkedIn and Youtube accounts.

Resource: Danish Medicines Council, August 29, 2024


This article has been prepared with the assistance of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more details, please refer to our Terms and Conditions. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author.

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.

Latest article