NICE’s independent appraisal committee has formally requested additional data from the pharmaceutical company regarding the medication trastuzumab deruxtecan in anticipation of their upcoming meeting. This information encompasses further investigation into how the drug influences patients’ life expectancy, evidence substantiating its ongoing benefits as the disease advances, and a more detailed examination of the outcomes observed in patients receiving standard care through the NHS.
Helen Knight, who serves as the Director of Medicines Evaluation at NICE, recognized the potential significance of trastuzumab deruxtecan for individuals dealing with advanced breast cancer, particularly those who have limited chemotherapy options and a lack of targeted treatments. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the drug prolongs patients’ lives and delays disease progression when compared to conventional chemotherapy for HER2-negative breast cancer. Nevertheless, due to uncertainties in the pharmaceutical company’s economic model, the cost-effectiveness estimates were considered excessively high to warrant a recommendation for NHS use.
The committee has pinpointed specific areas requiring clarification from the company, and NICE will engage in collaboration with the company to resolve these issues. Trastuzumab deruxtecan is notable as the inaugural targeted treatment endorsed for HER2-low breast cancer, a subgroup previously classified as HER2-negative. It is approximated that roughly 1,000 individuals could have been eligible for this treatment had it received a recommendation from NICE.
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