NICE confirms its refusal to recommend Yondelis, Hycamtin and Gemzar for treatment of Ovarian Cancer.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ( NICE) has in the past rejected three medicines for Ovarian Cancer: Gemzar (gemcitabine) from Eli Lilly, Hycamtin (topotecan) from GSK, both of which are also now available as generics, and Yondelis (trabectedin) from PharmaMar. NICE has now reviewed these medicines but still finds that they provided less benefit to patients than other options when the disease recurs for the first time at least six months after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.

In its final draft guidance NICE does not, therefore, recommend Gemzar, Hycamtin or Yondelis at this stage of the disease and its Appraisal Committee did not make any recommendations on using these drugs for treating ovarian cancer at later stages, “because there was no evidence on which to base an estimate of clinical and cost effectiveness”.