NICE has published final draft guidance recommending nivolumab
(Opdivo, Bristol-Myers Squibb) for use alongside surgery for the
treatment of resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The treatment could benefit almost 5,000 people and was evaluated
using our new proportionate approach to
technology appraisals. As a result, this final guidance was
available nine weeks faster, or around 20%, than would have been
the case under its standard process. This is the fifth
recommendation to use the new proportionate approach.
In addition to surgery, treatment options for resectable NSCLC
include chemotherapy. Indirect evidence suggests that nivolumab
before surgery (neoadjuvant) plus chemotherapy improves survival
and is more effective compared with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy
alone, surgery alone and chemotherapy after surgery.
Nivolumab is administered as an intravenous infusion every three
weeks and is used alongside chemotherapy to shrink tumours before
surgery.
There are more than 40,000 new lung cancer cases in the England
every year and up to 85% of lung cancers are non-small-cell lung
cancers (NSCLC).
The company has a confidential commercial arrangement in place
which makes nivolumab available to the NHS with a discount.
The appeal period for this appraisal will close at 5pm on
Wednesday, 8 March 2023.
You can read the full final draft guidance for nivolumab with
chemotherapy for neoadjuvant treatment of resectable
non-small-cell lung cancer on the NICE website.
