NICE rejects Yervoy for Malignant Melanoma first line treatment - BMS

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended in a draft guidance against Yervoy (ipilimumab) from BMS for the treatment of advanced Malignant Melanoma in patients who have already been treated with chemotherapy. The draft guidance is not a final decision but for consultation. The draft guideline recommended that Yervoy only be used by the NHS for patients in clinical trials, because current evidence is lacking. NICE has at an earlier stage endorsed Yervoy as a second-line treatment for advanced Malignant Melanoma, but says the evidence provided by BMS fails to conclusively show the degree to which the drug can extend life in previously untreated patients when compared with current standard care.