Although we will not be issuing a formal press release, we wanted
to let you know that NICE has today (Thursday, 17 August)
published final draft guidance recommending pembrolizumab for
previously treated endometrial, biliary, colorectal, gastric, or
small intestine cancers with high microsatellite instability
(MSI) or mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency tumours.
Just over 300 people a year in England could benefit from this
immunotherapy.
This is the first immunotherapy recommended by NICE for people
with high microsatellite instability or mismatch repair
deficiency tumours in the biliary, gastric or small intestine.
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck Sharp & Dohme) blocks the
immune checkpoint proteins that prevent the body’s immune system
from attacking cancer cells and is given as an intravenous
infusion every three weeks.
Pembrolizumab is recommended as an option for treating tumours
with high microsatellite instability (MSI) or mismatch repair
(MMR) deficiency in adults with:
- Advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer that has progressed
during or after a platinum-based therapy, who cannot have
curative surgery or radiotherapy.
- Unresectable or metastatic gastric, small intestine or
biliary cancer that has progressed during or after one therapy.
- Colorectal cancer after fluoropyrimidine combination therapy,
only if they cannot have nivolumab with ipilimumab.
It is only recommended if pembrolizumab is stopped at two years
of uninterrupted treatment, or earlier if the cancer progresses.
Clinical results suggest that people having pembrolizumab live
for longer and have longer before their cancer gets worse than
people having chemotherapy.
The company has a confidential commercial arrangement in place
which makes pembrolizumab available to the NHS with a discount.
You can read the final draft guidance on pembrolizumab for
previously treated endometrial, biliary, colorectal, gastric or
small intestine cancer with high microsatellite instability or
mismatch repair deficiency on the NICE website.
