NICE Recommends Gilead’s CAR-T Drug for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

The U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended Gilead Sciences’ Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) to treat aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for NHS coverage.

NICE cleared the CAR-T drug for reimbursement by the Cancer Drugs Fund. In securing the approval, Gilead beat out Novartis’ competing CAR-T therapy Kymriah, which has been approved for use in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia but not this use.

The drug’s high cost initially prompted a rejection of coverage, but NHS England and the company have reached a confidential deal under which the medicine was deemed cost-effective.