Nintedanib is marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim and works by binding to the surface of cancer cells to stop the cells from growing and dividing.

Commenting on the draft guidance, Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE chief executive, said: “There are other treatments available for people whose cancer has progressed after their first treatment, but it’s clear that new, more effective options are needed and would be welcomed by patients and doctors. However, on the basis of the evidence provided by Boehringer Ingelheim, the committee appraising nintedanib concluded that the drug did not offer enough benefit for the price they are currently asking the NHS to pay. This preliminary guidance has been published for public consultation and Boehringer Ingelheim now have the opportunity to respond to the committee’s concerns.”

Consultees, including the company which markets the drug, healthcare professionals and members of the public are now able to comment on the preliminary recommendations which are available for public consultation. Comments received during this consultation will be fully considered by the Committee and following this meeting the next draft guidance will be issued. 

Until final guidance is issued to the NHS, NHS bodies should make decisions locally on the funding of specific treatments. Once NICE issues its final guidance on a technology, it replaces local recommendations across the country.

Ends

For more information call the NICE press office on 0300 323 0142 or out of hours on 07775 583 813.

Notes to Editors

About the guidance

1. Nintedanib in combination with docetaxel is not recommended within its marketing authorisation for treating locally advanced, metastatic or locally recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer of adenocarcinoma histology that has progressed after first-line chemotherapy.
2. The draft guidance will be available at /guidance/indevelopment/gid-tag449 from 22 December 2014.
3. The gain in median progression-free survival was 1.4 months and the gain in median overall survival was 2.3 months. The Committee agreed that the difference in median overall survival of 2.3 months reflects a statistically significant but clinically small benefit.
4. The committee concluded the cost per QALY (Quality Adjusted Life Year) was likely to be near £70,000.
5. The Committee concluded that nintedanib plus docetaxel did not fulfil the NICE supplementary advice criteria to be considered as a life-extending, end-of-life treatment. The Committee was not persuaded that the estimates of the extension to life are sufficiently robust, and that the assumptions used in the model are sufficiently plausible, objective and robust to show that nintedanib plus docetaxel offered an additional 3 months compared with current NHS treatment.
6. Nintedanib costs £2,151.10 for a 30 day pack of 150 mg and 100 mg capsules for oral use. The recommended dose is 200 mg twice daily. This can be reduced to 150 mg or 100 mg twice daily in patients who experience adverse events.
7. The Cancer Drugs Fund does not currently fund the use of nintedanib.
8. The Scottish Medicines Consortium are currently considering the use of nintedanib for this indication – http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/SMC_Advice/Forthcoming_Submissions/nintedanib_Vargatef