Lung cancer drug now available on NHS thanks to new deal

Opdivo, also known as nivolumab, will now be available to NHS patients suffering from lung cancer as the drug’s manufacturer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, offers the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) a new cancer drugs fund (CDF) deal.

As part of the CDF deal put forward, around 1,300 lung cancer patients are expected to receive nivolumab, which works by targeting a protein (PD-L1) on the surface of cells. This protein is involved in the body’s immune response to cancer.

“We know that nivolumab is clinically effective for some people with lung cancer but the full extent of its benefit is not clear,” said Professor Carole Longson, director of the NICE centre for health technology evaluation. “This new deal means that we can give patients access to what we know is a promising treatment whilst more evidence is gathered on its value.”

After its first review, NICE decided that the evidence presented was not strong enough for a recommendation for routine NHS use. However, as the efficacy of the treatment varied, proving to be more effective in some patients with more PD-L1 on their cancer cells, NICE requested that the drug be made available with a discount while clinical trials were ongoing.

“I’m pleased to see NICE and the drug’s manufacturer showing flexibility in reaching agreement on the drug’s approval,” added Professor Paul Workman chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, London. “Initially the drug was priced far too high to ever have been judged cost-effective by NICE. Companies need to come to the table with their best, most realistic price offer right at the start, so we get new exciting drugs, such as immunotherapies, to patients as quickly as possible.”

Nivolumab will be available to patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who have already undergone chemotherapy. Administration is performed intravenously at two week intervals. The exact cost of the drug is dependent on the patient’s weight and type of lung cancer.

“In less than a year NICE has recommended five new drugs for CDF use and we have cleared almost all the drugs on the old CDF list for routine use,” emphasized Longson. “We are truly delivering on our promise to give patients better access to cancer treatments.”

NICE is assessing the drug for various cancer indications and will examine the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of it when compared with treatments that are already available on the NHS.