NICE Recommends Ibrance and Keytruda for NHS Use

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Pfizer’s Ibrance (palbociclib) plus fulvestrant for National Health Service (NHS) use as a treatment for  hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in adults who have had endocrine therapy.

The treatment combination is recommended if exemestane plus everolimus is the most appropriate alternative to a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor.

The recommendation for Ibrance plus fulvestrant was supported by new clinical trial evidence that it leads to longer life compared with placebo plus fulvestrant, the agency said.

The agency has also recommended Merck’s blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) as an adjuvant treatment for completely resected stage 2B or 2C melanoma in people 12 years and over.

The negotiated prices for NHS use were not disclosed.