National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence approves Alimta

NICE Gives Final Approval for Alimta

Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) gave final approval for the use of Alimta in patients with mesothelioma nearly a year after the group initially advised the National Health Service against including the drug because of concerns about cost effectiveness.

Alimta (pemetrexed disodium) is a chemotherapy drug used to treat patients with mesothelioma that has been shown to reduce symptoms and extend the lives of patients.

NICE reviewed the drug in 2006 and concluded that it should not be added to the NHS because of concerns about cost effectiveness. A single treatment cycle can cost thousands of dollars and officials were not convinced that the expenditure would be worth the benefits.

The announcement drew immediate criticism from victims and mesothelioma support groups whose opposition played a role in reversing their decision last July. The decision was a relief for mesothelioma patients whose financial situations had previously prevented them from receiving treatment.

The agency’s final report recommends Alimta as a therapy for patients with advanced malignant mesothelioma who cannot undergo surgery. The ruling does not approve Alimta to be used for patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancer.

Alimta’s approval comes weeks after Australia agreed to subsidize the drug as part of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

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