Liver cancer drug “too costly”

19^th November 2009 – The drug sorafenib, which can prolong the lives of patients diagnosed with advanced liver cancer, has been rejected for use by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The decision applies to the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

£3,000 a month: Too expensive

In a statement, NICE, which is responsible for issuing national guidance on treatment, says sorafenib is too expensive.

Sorafenib is manufactured by Bayer HealthCare under the brand name “Nexavar”. The cost of prescribing the drug would work out at approximately £3,000 per month.

Andrew Dillon, Chief Executive of NICE, says in a press release that “the price being asked by Bayer is simply too high to justify using NHS money which could be spent on better value cancer treatments”.

He adds that the decision stands despite the manufacturer offering every fourth pack free of charge.

NICE is recommending that patients currently receiving sorafenib for the treatment of advanced HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma – the leading form of primary liver cancer) should have the option to continue treatment until they and their clinician consider it appropriate to stop.

Drug slows cancer cells

HCC is responsible for 1,500 deaths in the UK each year.

Sorafenib works by:

• Stopping signals that tell cancer cells to grow
• Preventing cancer cells forming the blood vessels that they need to grow

“Big disappointment” and “a disgrace”, say cancer charities

Cancer charities have condemned the decision not to recommend sorafenib for the treatment of advanced HCC.

In a statement online Cancer Research UK described the decision as a “big disappointment”. The charity’s chief clinician Professor Peter Johnson says “sorafenib works” and “can extend people’s lives for an extra four months on average”.

Mike Hobday, Head of Campaigns at Macmillan Cancer Support, says “We are extremely disappointed that NICE has decided not to recommend sorafenib as a treatment for people with advanced liver cancer.  

“It is a scandal that the only licensed drug proven to significantly prolong the lives of people with this devastating disease has been rejected, leaving them with no treatment options. 

“It’s time to rethink the way new cancer drugs are assessed to ensure fairer access to drugs for people with rarer cancers.”

Final guidance on the use of sorafenib, subject to any appeals, is expected in January 2010.