NICE Endorses Pfizer and Eli Lilly Cancer Drugs

The UK’s drug pricing watchdog has recommended reimbursement for Eli Lilly’s lung cancer drug Alimta and Pfizer’s leukemia therapy Bosulif at discounted prices.

The products had previously been available under the National Health Service’s Cancer Drugs Fund, but underwent reappraisal after the cancer fund experienced restructuring and fell under the purview of UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

NICE noted that it only endorsed the drugs after the companies lowered the drugs for an undisclosed amount. The discounts rendered the treatments cost-effective, NICE said.

Bosulif is recommended when other treatment options for chronic myeloid leukemia become ineffective. An annual course of treatment without discounts costs roughly $59,275.

Alimta is backed as an initial treatment for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. The average cost of eight treatment cycles is $15,242.