NICE advises against NHS funding of Tyvrb for advanced breast cancer

In its final appraisal determination, NICE has advised against NHS funding for lapatinib (Tyverb) in ErbB2-positive breast cancer. In combination with capecitebine (Xeloda), it offers a new treatment option for women whose disease has returned despite treatment with standard chemotherapy and trastuzumab (Herceptin). To date, lapatinib is the only licensed ErbB2-targeted treatment available.

NICE indicated early in its review of the drug that it did not consider it to be cost-effective in this patient population. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has offered a patient access programme, where they bear the cost of lapatinib for the first 12 weeks of treatment while the NHS commence payment for the drug for patients who continued taking it beyond 12 weeks. GSK plans to continue to honour the programme for NHS trusts in the UK.
During the assessment of lapatinib, NICE proposed new advice for the assessment of treatments in small patient populations with a short life expectancy. As lapatinib falls into this category, it therefore qualified for a review.
GSK will appeal against this decision by NICE, which if successful, will enable the NHS to offer a similar level of access to lapatinib as other EU countries. Lapatinib received EMEA approval in June 2008 and has since been granted funding in 16 European countries to date, including Slovenia, Slovakia, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Ireland.