1 Recommendations

1.1 Rucaparib is recommended for use within the Cancer Drugs Fund as an option for maintenance treatment of relapsed platinum-sensitive high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer that has responded to platinum-based chemotherapy in adults, only if the conditions in the managed access agreement for rucaparib are followed.

1.2 This recommendation is not intended to affect treatment with rucaparib that was started in the NHS before this guidance was published. People having treatment outside this recommendation may continue without change to the funding arrangements in place for them before this guidance was published, until they and their NHS clinician consider it appropriate to stop.

Why the committee made these recommendations

The clinical evidence shows that rucaparib extends the time until cancer progresses compared with routine care. How much longer people live after taking rucaparib is uncertain because the data from the trial are not available yet. Because of the uncertainty in the clinical evidence, the estimates of cost effectiveness are very uncertain. Therefore, rucaparib cannot be recommended for routine use in the NHS.

Rucaparib has the potential to be cost effective if further data confirm the estimated overall-survival benefit. Rucaparib is therefore recommended for use within the Cancer Drugs Fund as an option for the maintenance treatment of relapsed platinum-sensitive high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer that has responded to platinum-based chemotherapy in adults, while further data are collected.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)