Suggested remit: To appraise the clinical and cost effectiveness of pembrolizumab before surgery (neoadjuvant) then with radiotherapy (with or without cisplatin) after surgery (adjuvant) for untreated, resectable, locally advanced, squamous cell head and neck cancer.
- Status:
- In progress
- Technology type:
- Medicine
- Decision:
- Selected
- Reason for decision:
- Anticipate the topic will be of importance to patients, carers, professionals, commissioners and the health of the public to ensure clinical benefit is realised, inequalities in use addressed, and help them make the best use of NHS resources
- Process:
- STA Standard
- ID number:
- 6477
Provisional Schedule
- Committee meeting:
- 04 March 2026
- Expected publication:
- 01 July 2026
Project Team
- Project lead
- Kate Moore
Email enquiries
If you have any queries please email TACommD@nice.org.uk
- External Assessment Group:
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield
Stakeholders
- Companies sponsors
- Merck Sharp & Dohme (pembrolizumab)
- Others
- Department of Health and Social Care
- NHS England
- Patient carer groups
- Swallows Head & Neck Cancer Support Group
- Head and Neck Cancer UK
- Professional groups
- Association of Cancer Physicians
- British Association of Otorhinolaryngologists
- Cancer Research UK
- Royal College of Physicians
- Royal College of Radiologists
- Associated public health groups
- None
- Comparator companies
- Merck (cetuximab) (confidentiality agreement signed, participating)
- Amarox (cisplatin) (confidentiality agreement not signed, not participating)
- Hospira UK (cisplatin) (confidentiality agreement not signed, not participating)
- Sandoz (cisplatin) (confidentiality agreement not signed, not participating)
- General commentators
- All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre
- British National Formulary
- Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for Northern Ireland
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee
- Scottish Medicines Consortium
- Welsh Government
- Relevant research groups
- Institute of Cancer Research
Timeline
Key events during the development of the guidance:
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| 29 August 2025 | Invitation to participate |
| 24 July 2025 - 07 August 2025 | Consultation on suggested remit, draft scope and provisional stakeholder list of consultees and commentators |
| 24 July 2025 | In progress. Scoping commenced. |
| 12 December 2024 | Referral |
| 19 August 2024 | Topic selection |
| 16 July 2024 | Awaiting development. Status change linked to Topic Selection Decision being set to Selected |
For further information on our processes and methods, please see our CHTE processes and methods manual