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NICE has approved olaparib for ovarian cancer in the Cancer Fund, which heralds a new era for women with ovarian cancer.
AstraZeneca's Lynparza (olaparib) has already been used at advanced stages of treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. It has now been approved by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) well before treatment.
Olaparib can now be offered to olaparib as a maintenance treatment if it is positive for the BRCA gene mutation, NICE said in its final guide project. published.
The drug, a tablet taken twice a day, will only be paid through the Cancer Drugs Fund if the conditions of the managed access agreement between the company and NHS England and NHS Improvement for olaparib are met. Around 700 patients a year should benefit from this decision.
The use of the Cancer Fund is needed, while additional data is being collected as part of an on-going clinical trial (SOLO-1) that estimates up to now that the "Cancer Fund" is needed. Olaparib delays the progression of the disease by about three years compared to placebo. However, it is not known if people taking olaparib live longer because the patients in the trial have not been followed long enough.
People with advanced ovarian cancer, fallopian tubes or BRCA mutated peritoneum have a high unmet clinical need because there is currently no maintenance treatment after a positive response to chemotherapy. of first intention platinum. The committee noted that the disease had a poor prognosis and that patients lived in fear of a relapse.
Olaparib is an inhibitor of PARP and prevents PARP protein in cancer cells from repairing damaged DNA, causing cancer cell death.
Meindert Boysen, director of the NICE Center for Health Technology Assessment, said, "The availability of olaparib tablets as a maintenance treatment is an important development for cancer management. advanced ovary to BRCA mutation. Olaparib is already used against ovarian cancer, but it should get the best benefits if it is used early. It is estimated that it can potentially cure the disease in some people if it is administered before the first recurrence.
"We are delighted that the company has entered into a commercial agreement for olaparib, which will make it immediately available to people who currently have an unmet need for maintenance treatment."
John Stewart, director of the NHS's specialized commission, said: "Olaparib can potentially have a tremendous impact on the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer, offering patients better chances of survival, and NHS England has worked in close collaboration with AstraZeneca and NICE agreement that has clear benefits for patients who would benefit, as well as for industry and taxpayers.
"Providing the latest state-of-the-art treatments to patients through innovative drug agreements is only one of the ways in which the NHS's long-term plan will transform cancer care across the country, by making it a reality." 39, relying on the thousands of lives already saved through improved treatments. "
Dr. Susana Banerjee, consultant in medical oncology at Royal Marsden and head of the ICR gynecological cancers team, was co-author of the SOLO-1 trial. She said: "The maintenance treatment at olaparib heralds a new era for women with ovarian cancer; This is the first time we have seen such dramatic improvements in progression-free survival. This means that more women will have more time before a relapse, chemotherapy and the possibility of increased survival.
"The SOLO-1 historical trial has led to a paradigm shift in the treatment of women with advanced ovarian cancer. This is the first trial of maintenance treatment with this type of drug in newly diagnosed patients. The results of the trial so far have shown that maintenance therapy with olaparib prolongs about three years progression-free survival in women with bad cancer. advanced ovary linked to the BRCA mutation. Some of my patients who were treated in this trial at the Royal Marsden remain cancer free years later. "
The olaparib will be immediately available for NHS patients through the Cancer Drugs Fund in England. Subject to appeal, NICE's final directives will be published next month (August).
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