2007/006 NICE publishes final guidance on bevacizumab and cetuximab for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has today published final guidance on the use of bevacizumab and cetuximab for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

The guidance does not recommend the use of these drugs for first line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (bevacizumab) and therapy following the failure of an irinotecan containing chemotherapy regimen (cetuximab) and means that the joint appeal against the recommendations contained in the Final Appraisal Determination in respect of cetuximab by Bowel Cancer UK and Cancerbackup and the appeal by Merck Pharmaceuticals have not been upheld.