After Roche, Celgene Faces Value Push-Back From NICE

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are currently unlikely to get ‘routine’ access to Celgene’s Imnovid (pomalidomide) on the National Health Service in England after cost-regulators rejected funding for the drug.

In draft guidelines, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said it is not recommending third-line use of Imnovid in MM patients because Celgene failed to provide sufficient evidence of its effectiveness compared with current care.

In other words, the drug did not offer “enough benefit to justify its high price,” the Institute said.

The cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained presented by the company was over £50,000 compared with Velcade bortezomib, but even higher—at more than £70,000 per QALY—when compared with bendamustine plus thalidomide and dexamethasone, falling outside the range of what is normally considered value for money.

Read the article on Pharmacy Times: http://bit.ly/1w6UIRN